28.10.19 The planes! The planes!

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Monday 28th 40-46F, cool but bright and clear start. Walked to the lanes. A very large bird of prey was completely spoiling the sense of scale and proportion of the landscape. What looked like a buzzard was wheeling over it. Making it look even larger. The larger bird became fed up with the attention and sailed off across the countryside. This excitement was followed by an early ride to the shops. The sky is becoming more cloudy now. Only 7 miles.

Tuesday 29th 33-46F  Frost on the grass. Bright and cloud free for a change. Walked to the lanes. It was a mostly sunny day.

Wednesday 30th 29-45F, calm and bright. With a crisp, white frost on the grass, surfaces and hedges. Though it didn't feel particularly cold on my walk to the lanes. Except when vehicles passed and provided some unwanted wind chill. The ponds on the fields are reducing steadily. The wind turbines were standing still. Not ideal when the country needs the electricity for heating.

Thursday 31st, 39-46F, rather cloudy. Only a little sun promised for today but a warmer start. The sun did manage to break through but it was going to be a struggle given the amount of cloud. Five airliners went over towing vapour trails. All coming from the same direction but only slightly staggered in timing. Whatever happened to video conferencing?

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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26.10.2019 CO2 makes the planet greener?

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Saturday 26th 54-56F, very dark, heavy overcast, heavy rain and gales. I could hear a roar outside during the night. The DMI forecast is for all day rain. Or for only a few showers from commercial TV2. Just the daily, eany, meany, miney mo. A good day for a walk to test my new weatherproofing. My wife now insists I wear a bright yellow, reflective armband, with flashing red diodes. With 4000 habitual drunks still driving in Denmark I may need some of their promised therapy if I'm not light on my feet! 

The main problems are the 45 degree concrete verge blocks on the blind corners. I am nimble enough to leap up and over them but only when there is a useful grass verge behind them. I get a wave from a few drivers for giving them the room to make their own mistakes.

Though I rarely get any reaction from the 7-axle, freight lorry drivers when I save them from having to drive out and around me. Particularly when there is oncoming traffic. I have to monitor the traffic in both directions and take to the verge accordingly. No point in claiming your 1.5 meters of lawful clearance. Not if that 1.5m is a wooden box which has to be filled with a shovel! You'd be shocked and amazed at how many cars never change their course towards you. Zombie drivers are as common as drunk drivers it seems.Would it be a stretch to suggest that there are far more drunk drivers than those who are caught?

The huntsmen had gathered around the copses for their Saturday morning pheasant shoot. I heard only three shots in half an hour before they were walking back to their cars in the lane. My waterproofs proved to be just that in the windy, drizzly weather. Still mild at 55F. Fortunately, all is well with the world because CO2 makes the planet greener. [According to a Danish politician.] No names. No pack drill.

Sunday 27th 44-46F, calm and bright start but cooler. It was a bit breezy beyond the defensive hedges of Chez Hovel, as I walked to the village and back. There was not a soul about with the clocks having gone back. To which end, The Head Gardener has decreed that we must avoid the stresses and strains of such major clock adjustment. The stable clock, by which the staff are guided through their daily routines, shall only be decremented by five minutes per day. Until, that is, The Staff Timetable has finally caught up [or rather down?] with this new-fangled, Daylight Saving Time. Life was so much easier when we were ruled by the sun dial in the Vegetable Garden. You could set your watch by it. If you had one.

No rain forecast by either competitor but heavy showers carried on after lunch into the afternoon.

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25.10.1919. Definitely NOT a DUTCH cycle bridge!

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Friday 25th 52F, breezy with a very rough sky. In celebration of my very first pair of new, waterproof trousers in over 50 years, several spots of rain hit me on my walk. I was slowed by a headwind in the lanes but soldiered bravely on. There were even brief flashes of sunshine, but somehow, I survived. One forecast says dry but grey all day. The other forecaster says rain all day. Who are you supposed to believe? How do I know how to dress for my walk? So far, it has been a day of cloud, sunshine and only a very few, short showers. It finally cleared to sunshine after 16.00.

The Danish news is that they have spent over 100 million, Danish taxpayer's Kroner on a bicycle bridge in København. Only they carefully arranged it so that 120,000 cyclists, per day, and 10,000 pedestrians must cross each other's traffic streams on a pedestrian crossing! They also make cyclists wait at several red lights! Dogh? Dugh? That's Danish Janteloven [Jante's Law] for you. They should have asked the Dutch how to do it properly!

The road designers responsible should be named and shamed on TV. Then they should be sentenced to 10 years of continuous use of this disaster area crossing. The "authorities" who approved the layout can join them! What is the betting that these "overqualified" road engineers and highly paid administrators all drive [taxpayer funded] "Ministerial" limousines and never go anywhere near a bicycle? They should all be made personally responsible for compensating all and every victim of personal injuries directly caused by their piss poor "professional" misconduct!

The following  video [link below] is from the Danish TV2 station. Which typically [for TV news] relies entirely on "head and shoulders" interviews. Rather than actually showing the real problems. Well, how else are they to make the overpaid interviewer [TV journalist] the real star of the TV news story? Note the standard "walk on" part as she approaches the camera in her designer outfit? No TV journalist may ever stand still while on camera. It is written in stone somewhere outside the Hollywood School of TV FILM STAR Journalism in East London.

I am shocked and dumbfounded that the presenter didn't actually climb onto a bicycle and wobble across the road just to prove she is as good as any BBC news "film star" TV journalist. It is standard behaviour, written into the contract in Gravely Bighted, that every news presenter must attempt the activities of the "underling" [aka: member of the public] about which the news story is really supposed to be.

BBC TV journalists have never knowingly been up-staged. Not even by daring lunar astronauts and parachute-free, high altitude, naked, sky divers. If somebody has just surfaced from the depths of the ocean, after spending ten years underwater, the TV journalist must also descend to even greater depths.

It all started with the Torrey Canyon disaster. A local TV News "Journo" was on shore, 17 miles from the burning wreck out at sea. With no film to prove his omnipotent presence [as the outside broadcast film star] at the scene, he literally climbed into a rowing boat. And, was then filmed bobbing about in the fishing harbour while he talked urgently to the camera. I kid you not! The scene is indelibly seared into my mind.

I'm still looking forwards to the first public arrival of a UFO. Which will be completely invisible behind a solid wall of animated, arm waving "international film star" TV journalists. All with their backs to the UFO [and the friendly but confused aliens descending the invisible staircase] while the journalists talk urgently to their cameras. All the while holding up dead, furry mammals and demanding to know how it will affect The Markets. Or their own dictator's/president's chances of re-election. Or the Perp's likely reaction. Or, even, the outcome of a local football match. The latter is by far the most likely. Take my word for it.

Here you go: [at last]

Cykelbro til over 100 millioner skaber kaos - TV 2 - Cycle bridge for over 100 million causes chaos.

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21.10.19 No news is [very] good news.

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Monday 21st 50F, heavy overcast with rain on the windows. It rained steadily all the way to the lanes and back again. Neither forecast service is offering rain. It rained all day!

An increasing number of news websites are being summarily closed [by me] as I refuse to accept cookies. Or refuse to allow them though my ad blocker. Are they selling the news or selling their advertising? They really ought to make the choice. One advantage, for me, is that I now read a lot less news in the mornings.

It is long overdue that there was ethical news. News without adverts. Or supported by ethical advertising. Adverts aimed at adults [who can walk and breathe through their nose at the same time] for ethical products or services. Nah. It would never work. Where, on Earth, would they find such products or services?

Google/YouTube is going to get burnt if it carries on like this. An advert aimed specifically at the mentally subnormal/retards/educationally challenged/PC term of your own choice, after every single video? How long do they think they will get away with this? We are long past total advertising saturation. Why don't they just change their pretend business names to Non-Tax-Paying Monopolistic Sociopathic Advertising Agency.con?

Today's news: Hospital doctors, who have to treat the injuries of electric scooter riders, are demanding compulsory helmets. One of the coalition parties of the newly elected, Danish government say that there is no ambition in the new, climate change legislation. More of a re-distribution of existing funds. I'm calling it Green-washing.

Meanwhile Romania's ancient and last remaining European beech forest are being illegally felled. The second forest protection ranger, to die in a week, has been shot. Legal sawmills say there is no government regulation. Now there's a surprise!

The BBC reports progress on electric car sales. 25,000 in 2018 is 1% of total vehicle sales. A British propaganda department spokesperson said they they were now well on their way to zero CO2 emission by 2150. Or was it 2250? Whatever.

Tuesday 22nd 52-54F, breezy and heavy grey overcast. I walked up to the woods in a clockwise direction. Caught up with a load of pheasants on the edge of a field. They obviously weren't afraid. I had to herd them forwards so I could continue on my way! Then through the drab beech woods and on down the steep track to the road. I saw two pairs of deer at a distance. Not sure my new green jacket is camouflage or not. Pheasants were clearly afraid of my old, bright orange jacket. When they should be very afraid of green! You never see a hunter in orange. Except for an occasional hat band.

A shopping ride in the offing.  Late morning ride as our hero headed off into fine but wet rain. Bit of a crosswind going. Loaded the trike in time for the rain to pause. Headwind coming home. Only 7 miles. Am I having fun yet? Quite a pleasant afternoon without being sunny.

Wednesday 23rd 48-50F, clear overhead. Still waiting for the sun to clear the cloud around the edges. Cooler than of late but the promise of sunshine. A walk to the lanes. Two male pheasants were walking ahead of me. Eventually they decided to fly off in opposite directions. A chevron of 50 noisy geese went over heading west. The "ponds" in the fields haven't changed much. There was some sunshine until lunch time.

Thursday 24th 53F, misty and cloudy. It looked quite promising as I walked to the far woods. Having followed a pleasant track well away from traffic where the mixed flocks of small birds moved around restlessly. I turned round and came back the same way. Now it has turned grey and slightly more misty. Bit of a breeze picking up too.

I have an errand to attend to on the trike. Light but bulky. I'll be off as soon as I have finished morning coffee. If drivers can't see my big, bright yellow Overboard bag on the rack then nothing will grab their attention.

But not a driver of Arabic appearance. Who cut me off to park in a bay in the village high street. This has never happened to me before in Denmark. At least, not as far as I can remember. I glared at him but I doubt he even knew why. The sociopathy of ignorance of the law and national rules of behaviour towards cyclists. Danes would automatically hold back for the second or two it would take me to pass the bay and then pull in. He didn't even bother to indicate. Just overtook me and then chopped across my path forcing me to brake hard.

The mist was beyond 200 yards as I fought a headwind going. Tailwind coming home but the mist was down to just 100 yards invisibility with fine drizzle. It has thinned again now but windier. Only 7 miles. Had a wave from a serious cyclist out training while I was spinning up a local hill.

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17.10.19 Tuck and trim.

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Thursday 17th 54F, heavy overcast, raining with a bit of wind. The wet jacket took a whole day to dry indoors yesterday. It will probably require a similar period of drying after today's 40 minute walk in steady rain. I retreated to the limits of the verge to avoid the incredible spray plumes coming from every vehicle's tyres. Some of the lakes on the fields have simply vanished despite continuing rain. While others continue to grow. Very odd!

Denmark's huge global impact on electric vehicle sales reached a new height in August. Less than 350 EVs compared to 19,000 of the mass killer, toxic gas, filthy exhaust type. We must pray that the EV manufacturer's can keep up with Denmark's insatiable demand. What was it they said at the last election? "We must lead CO2 reduction by example!" 😂

More Danish news: Parents are demanding their children's official school photographs be Photoshopped to remove "blemishes." Perfection being the order of the day. This sounds like an opportunity to make a few, tax-free kroner: [Only kidding.]

"How many kilos do you want shaved off Madam? Er, won't that make your daughter look a tad anorexic?"
"No madam, sorry, but there is no discount for bulk."
"What about all those black teeth from her sucking on sugar bomb, energy drinks all day long like a big, fat baby?"
"Certainly madam." "We're doing a special two-for-one offer this week: 500 kroner, in cash, per kilo lost in the lab."
"Four hundred per whitewashed tooth if you take advantage of our combined weight loss offer at the same time" "Just think of the savings!"
"Sorry, Madam. No, we can't make your son look like Jennifer Aniston!"

Deep fake? You ain't seen nothing yet!

Friday 18th 51F, heavy overcast, a light breeze, but dry. I walked to the village and back. No news? I'll think of something. It rained at lunch time.

The Extinction Rebellion climate protests continue after Big Money forced a London ban by the police. Isn't it odd how the police are too busy to attend to life-changing burglaries? But they can always find thousands of uniformed police for a small protest in case they disrupt cars driving 200 yards to the nearest takeaway. Or to stand around doing nothing [at all] just to reassure the public after a copycat nutter commits another atrocity.

Saturday 19th 48-51F, almost clear start but windy. All day cloud forecast with rain later.

The Gravely Blighted news is that schools are going to provide refrigerators in quiet corners. From which the working poor can take food to feed their families. All too many children are turning up for school with empty stomachs. Not much sign of hunger elsewhere in Graveley's obese society.

No doubt the 'fridges will be quietly removed once a few "entitled," middle class thieves help themselves to the entire contents and dump it all into the Audi. The working poor will not want to be stigmatised so won't go near the free food.

When I was at school the staff deliberately made a point of stigmatising the kids who had free school meals. I wonder how much the real level of poverty has changed? Kids came to school in obviously handed down underwear and outer clothing. Underpants hanging down from the legs of heavily darned shorts. Oversized and tattered jumpers with darns and patches on the elbows. They didn't have charity shops back then. Now they have charity shops specialising in fine clothes for the entitled and leisured, BMW/Audi crowd.

An easy definition of slavery is not getting enough to eat despite working for a <cough> living. Working is a pact with society that provides rewards regardless of the nature of the employment. If there is no connection between working and income then that is slavery. The allotted number of waking hours for a real human being are stolen. That is robbery with menaces. And they wonder why there is so much crime?

A grey day of showers and only brief glimpses of the sun. I was denied a pass to the tradesman's entrance with my trike. [On the way out.]

Sunday 20th 50F, another grey day is promised. A walk to the lanes. Where the field puddles still grow. I caught a pheasant red handed by the road. It pottered off across the field but seemed reluctant to leave the safety of the hedge. So I strode on to relieve it of having to make the choice.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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16.10.19 Killer cars!

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Wednesday 16th 54F, heavy overcast, heavy rain and thick mist. What's not to like? The rain is supposed to last while the mist lifts. Possible glimpses of the sun. Quite possibly all at the same time. I have an early appointment but the trike looks an unlikely weapon of transport in these conditions.

On the way back from my appointment, in the car, I was caught up at high speed in the high street by a mentally ill driver. Who proceeded to climb all over my rear bumper because I would not speed just to let him go faster. As soon as we came to the first completely blind corner he overtook me on double white lines.

The victory for raving insanity was short lived. He was baulked by the next slower driver ahead. Only to overtake on the next completely blind bend. According to the continuous double white lines there is no overtaking along this road for four miles. The maximum speed limit is 50mph/80kph. Though, being Denmark, this is completely voluntary. 12 people died on the roads in the first week of October. I wonder how many were voluntary when the police catch tens of thousands speeding every year? Some driving at absolutely insane speeds in built up areas and on twisting rural roads with completely blind bends.

The picture is of a gaggle of pensioners enjoying a bike ride in the countryside for the exercise and social life.

Despite the steady rain I deliberately enjoyed my usual 40 minute walk to the lanes. I remained dry while the rain beaded off the jacket and onto my trousers. I still haven't decided whether to invest in breathable, rain trousers. I take the trousers off after my walk anyway. So it hardly matters if they are wet or dry as long as I am not cold. PU nylon is  no better than tailored bin bags for breathability. So why pay more than bin bag prices?

Statistics for injuries from electric bicycles suggest that older riders are suffering 55%. The same age group is down to 26% of the total number of injuries on ordinary bikes. I said, ages ago, that electric bikes aren't as simple to ride as one might think. High speeds need better brakes, better adhesion, faster reaction times and far better anticipation.

Faster [sporting] bicycle riders only became faster by riding lots of miles at those speeds. They practised long and hard. Older riders, buying electric bikes, have no previous experience of these higher speeds. A recipe for disaster! Like older riders investing in the latest 200mph, Isle of Man winning motorcycles. When all they rode in their youth was a 50cc moped.

Whoah! Not so fast! It seems the weight of electric bikes is the major problem. Particularly those with front wheel motors. Gyroscopic effects, anybody? Those with a bottom bracket electric motor are probably better balanced.

Danish cycle dealers have complained en-masse about the poor quality of some electric bicycles. Mentioning the poor, rim braking carried over from ordinary roadster bicycles as being completely inadequate.

More statistics: 4000 real people die each year from traffic fumes in Denmark alone. Copenhagen is particularly, heavily polluted. 400,000 real people die each year, in Europe, from traffic fumes. Statistically, most car journeys are short enough to easily walk or cycle. Is your [car] journey really necessary? No, of course not! What a silly question!

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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14.10.19 Just more of the same bullpoop.[AKA bullshit.]

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Monday 14th 52-54F, Breezy and it is trying to be a bright start but no sun yet. Cloud forecast for the rest of the day. Dry, so definitely a shopping day. Heavy duty shopping. So I went in the car.

There is a big hill between my home and the imported wood briquettes we use on our woodburning stove. I might be able to carry one 10kg pack but not six. Briquettes are the only known source of dry, solid fuel in Denmark. You think I'm kidding? We have never been able to buy wood which was remotely dry enough to use straight away. Not without years of covered, dry storage. Not even when it was claimed as "oven ready" by three local sources.

The problem is there is no consumer protection in Denmark. One local farmer cuts wood into logs and just leaves it outside on his grassed field ready for sale. We were only caught once! Others aren't remotely so lucky. Had there been consumer protection against selling wet wood at least two people would probably still be alive today. A part time wood seller was murdered by a disturbed individual. Obviously an unhappy customer from being sold wet wood. 

Not to mention all those who died in fires caused by chimney treacle. Which is directly caused by burning wet wood. Several of our wood burning neighbours had chimney fires immediately after having their chimneys swept polished by hand.

Fortunately[?] there is now a massive swing away from wet wood into burning industrial pallets. The wood is drier but of highly suspect materials including chipboard blocks. I suppose it makes a changer from the previous rush for vast tipper trucks full of demolition waste wrecking the drives.

It is still exactly the same lorries as before, but now they are full of filthy old pallets instead of painted hardboard and smashed up Formica kitchens. The same practices hold true for turning pallets into useful fuel, as before, though. Petrol chainsaws without silencers.

If you fitted a silencer to your chainsaw, in Denmark, you would he ostracised by the whole village for millennia! Just for having delusions of grandeur under strict Janteloven rules. Even if a pure bred Dane independently invented the chainsaw silencer it wouldn't help. He, and his family, would be ostracized for millennia for having delusions of grandeur. [See Janteloven.] Anybody buying a Danish [architect designed] silencer would still be ostracised under Jante's Law. It's a win-win situation for mental stagnation.

Gravely Blighted is having to face up to the fact that its empty green promises on CO2 reduction are pure bull poop. Countless, gas central heating boilers produce as much CO2 as do all the millions of cars. Which is about 14% of the total each. Gas boilers also produce nitrous oxide. There is presently no affordable alternative to gas for the vast majority of impoverished, working Brits.

BTW: The police have obviously been approached by The 1% Fat cats Big Money and have totally banned the present climate protests in London.

Here be Monsters!

There was mention in the BBC Broxit report that insulation would help reduce the CO2 problem. Not to mention reduce the number of Broxit pensioners literally freezing to death every winter. The same message has been shared publicly since the 1960s when I first became interested in the subject of climate change and alternatives to everyday, wasteful practices.

The other 60% of CO2 is caused by Big Money, advertising and architects. Though even here there is some change. A Danish insurance company is unloading its oil shares because the oil companies would not discuss their plans for CO2 reduction and climate impact.

Tuesday 15th 52-60F. Yet another, dark grey overcast and occasionally very windy. Only light winds are forecast. They also said it will remain dry. That's the problem with having no consumer protection in Denmark. Otherwise they wouldn't be having these daily public battles to share their totally bull poop forecasts!

How can a national weather forecast service be taken seriously on climate change? This lot couldn't forecast last week's weather! It's time they were required to publish ongoing accuracy reports on a daily or weekly basis.

Today, I have walked around the rural block. 3 miles in 50 minutes even with lots of stops to photograph huge puddles in the fields. Those marathon runners had better pick up their pace! Or their laurels will be in serious danger.

A quite pleasant and weakly sunny day. Afternoon ride to the shops in shorts and bare legs as usual. Only 7 miles. Going well. 

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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12.10.19 Wetter still!

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Saturday 12th 51F, heavy overcast, breezy with yet more rain promised. Southwest Denmark is enjoying unprecedented amounts of rain. The city of Vejle is flooded and roads are closed. Including a new motorway which has suffered a mud slide and flooding.

I could hear the rain roaring down after dark despite the windows being closed and latched. I haven't had a chance to check the drive yet as it has been too dark until now.

We had one of those grilled, plastic channels across the drive but it disintegrated over time. The channel scratched across the drive eventually silts up but is easily renewed. Before that, the entire 200m length of the drive would flow through our parking space and on down, through the back garden We must have spread lorry loads of gravel onto the drive over the years. Using only hand rakes, wheelbarrows and shovels. You can't argue with unfortunate levels and negative slopes. Having lost vehicles driving down here quite regularly doesn't help.

I have often mentioned Janteloven [Jante's Law] here. Today and yesterday Janteloven was mentioned in the media. It seems the Swedes have Janteloven too. It must be true because the BBC has a story on the matter. It is rude to mention how wealthy you are in Sweden even if you are "stinking" rich. In Denmark Janteloven is used as a weapon against ambition, promotion and hard work.

A globally famous Danish architect was regularly attacked for having [great] ideas "above his station." Particularly while he was too young to be receiving such global accolades.

Everybody must be reduced to the same level rather than being inspired to rise above it. While cheerfully dragging up the rest of society kicking and screaming by the bootlaces of its mud-caked, wooden clogs.

This architect went to live in Spain in his youth. Which gave him a completely different perspective. Had he stayed in Denmark we would never have seen his major breaks with architectural tradition. Perhaps all Danes and Swedes should be made to live elsewhere for  while? To reset their blind perceptions of reality and look deeply into their overt racism.

A walk to the lanes. Where I was caught in a two minute, half-hearted cloudburst. Then I was overtaken by an "FBI convoy" of identical 4WDs as the local huntsmen arrived for the first pheasant shoot of the season. It didn't take long for gunfire to erupt. Followed by much shouting and dogs running wildly all over the field. Feather's drifted gently downwind towards me from the copse.

The neighbour's ponies were spooked and dashing in tight circles within the confines of their electric fences. While the flooded fields were better or worse according to their location. The damage, as sharp edged rivulets cut down slopes, was all too obvious. The soil seems to be a mixture of clay and sand. Sticky and soft by turns. When we first came to Denmark it was strange to see the farmer's activities reduced to a smooth surface by rain.

The back field is flooded now. Though still a good meter below us. It used to flood every year in the past. Usually because the field drain was allowed to clog up with twigs, leaves and weeds. Once it flooded it was impossible to reach without waders. I used to joke that we should start a boat hire business.

The first signs of the new government's green plans is mentioned in passing. Those who want to scrap their oil fired central heating can get a small subsidy to install a "wet" heat pump system. Or they can hire a system from a profit driven company with little competition. Or even, god forbid, a bank!

Oh wow! That's really going to dent Denmark's CO2 production by 70% in ten years! The cost of a new "wet" heat pump system is about £10k! Of which an absolute minimum is £2500 in taxation. Totally uneconomical and unlikely to show any savings for years. Not to mention the constantly inflating electricity prices. Plus the constantly inflating 17 "green" taxes on top of every kWh. Making it a very poor investment for impoverished pensioners.

Whatever happened to all those tax subsidies for the rich to build wine cellars, conservatories, riding stables, swimming pools and saunas? Were they quietly phased out? They had to put a cap on the middle class subsidies for generating electricity with solar panels on the roofs of the comfortably off. Taking out a short term loan for the installation was still a license to print money at poorer taxpayer's expense! Repayment and into profit in only a couple of years. What the British call: "A nice little earner!"

The only realistic reduction in CO2 production in housing is a national insulation program. Many of the houses listed for sale are rated G on their insulation value. That basically means unheatable. Some homes may once have had 4" of fibreglass in the roof dating back to the 60s or 70s. By now this will be completely flattened and full of holes. Almost worthless in insulation value.

Meanwhile the Danes like to run around in shorts and T-shirts indoors all winter. With a woodburning stove manufacturing creosote and smoke from traditionally wet firewood. Burning dry firewood would have your family completely ostracised in most rural villages. [Remember Janteloven?] Meanwhile the oil heated, central heating is on full blast. Just try and find a snow covered roof which hasn't melted clear within hours! 

Sunday 13th 52F, heavy overcast and breezy. More rain promised for later. A walk to the village. Where the huge, churchyard trees and shrubs seem to be popular with the birds. I could see fine rain falling on the church pond but felt nothing obvious. A very expensive, German sports car went past. He was using the entire width of the road by overshooting on a blind corner at low speed. Welcome to "The Age of Entitlement." No skill required. Just the ability to afford the purchase price. One way or another.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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11.10.19 Wet, wet or wet?

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Friday 11th 52F, dark, windy and pissing tipping down. I woke early and had to get up. It was only 6am. It is now 7.30 and the home made, organic muesli has gone down. Along with a cup of black coffee and then tea without milk. As is my wont since childhood. When milk turned to sour cream in the days before refrigerators. It is still dark and I can clearly hear the rain falling with a roar outside my dormer window. Five minutes later and the dark grey sky has become a noticeably lighter, but still very dark grey.

The direct descent from yesterday's distinctly soggy route. How they get tractors up there is anybody's guess. It should really be forest but they have cleared it for agriculture. The tufty grass gets clipped every so often but is still difficult to walk on. While the muddy machine tracks are seriously slippery at any inclination. Decent boots with proper soles are vital to avoid a long and bumpy descent on one's derrière!

One forecast is for continuous rain. With only a pause for lunch to recover. Before raining again for the rest of the day. I wonder if it will rain? Seriously! The competing, Danish weather forecast services are hedging their bets. By providing completely different forecasts, as usual. The "other" TV service is offering sunny periods with rain at different times. I wouldn't want to be responsible for an outdoor event based on these predictions! Wasn't it Denver in the US which had 83F followed by snow? I wonder if they had an accurate forecast?

I had this weird notion that royalty are like exotic gold [sic] fish in assorted goldfish bowls. They must fully expect to be viewed from all angles as part of their job description. None of their luxury, gilt edged bowls is intended to provide any privacy. Though they are allowed to decorate their bowls with rocks resembling vast, sprawling palaces and fairy tale castles.

The only qualification for the job is to be born. Nothing else is required. When they die they are removed from the mobile, goldfish bowl system with great ceremony. Accompanied by much weeping and wailing from the lowest orders. Who see themselves as inferior and unworthy for having been born outside the goldfish bowl, royalty system. The rest, as they say, is history. With partial water changes at intervals to avoid mental disease from inbreeding. Hope this helps?

A late walk to the lanes in a blustery wind but dry overhead. The field had drained down to a huge pond at the head of our drive. Where is was pouring over the retaining bank and down our drive. Causing a stream a couple of inches deep over the entire 50 yards of its gentle descent.

We have a drainage groove across the drive to turn any excess water into a ditch. Now there are blue splodges [meteorological term] between the clouds. So heaven knows when it will rain again.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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10.10.19 Unfettered greed fuels CO2 production.

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Thursday 10th 47F, rather cloudy with showers promised again. An hour and forty minutes walk up through the forest. I took a new forestry track to end up in a clear felled plateau. The track continued onto the top of a hill overlooking a large area of countryside. Despite the ground being incredibly wet I followed the track down to the marsh. Thence back along another track to the village and the road home.

The new jacket was rather too warm but not in that dripping with sweat, man-made fibres sort of way. I can only presume that the proofed cotton is breathing well. I wore only a thin jumper over a T-shirt under the jacket.

Even this proved to be too warm in the continuous sunshine and almost no wind. I had kept the jacket deliberately closed to test it's performance in different conditions for future reference. Only on the walk back along the road did I open it up to circulate some of the cooling head-on breeze. Still no chill.

Again I was lucky with the weather and it remained dry throughout. As soon as I returned the clouds drew in, it turned dark and rained. 71 pictures gathered today as I enjoyed many new viewpoints. It was often very wet underfoot on my extended route. So I should have worn my old, alpine gaiters. If only I had known, with the clarity of perfect hindsight, that I would be inspired by the low sun to enjoy a longer walk.

Today's climate news is that 20 oil producing countries and companies are responsible for 1/3 of all CO2 emissions. Denmark's largest CO2 producer is a cement producing company.

Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions | Environment | The Guardian

The tabloid news in Gravely Blighted is not about the Brexit fiasco. Nor the climate. Not even Chump's corrupt clowning. Not even Harry's tantrums on the denting his absolute entitlement to privacy while living in style, entirely at taxpayer's expense, just for being born. What about the risk of global recession due to US/Chinese dictator's, willy waving squabbles?

No. No. No. You'll never guess if I don't tell you: It's all about footballer's wives! Dugh? 'Nuff said? The BBC staff can all pat themselves on the back for dragging Britain's IQ down to a new and abysmal low to match Their Prime Purpose. Job done! Dumb and Dumber rules, innit, eh?

A late morning ride to the shops. It looked threatening but I almost made it home before the promised deluge. Where I had to whip in under a tree in a farm entrance to avoid a thorough lashing by incoming, white, stair rods. Moments later there was a lull and I was on my way again. Only 7 miles. Returning heavily laden in just over an hour elapsed time despite shopping at three supermarkets. My hero! 😎

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9th October 2019 Dy'all want your burger flamed?

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Wednesday 9th 49-53F, rather cloudy and breezy with sunny periods. Showers possible. And there were!

A walk to the lanes. Where I saw the family of Roe deer grazing near their favourite hedge. A young woman was walking towards me but changed her mind and walked briskly back the way she had come.

Meanwhile I turned off to explore a side lane. At the top of the hill I saw a whole flock of Siskins. Some were drinking from a field puddle while there were at least 20 others hiding in the tall hedges.

On my way back down the same girl was climbing the hill. So our paths crossed. I'd hate to think I intimidated other walkers merely by my presence. There are few enough of them on my morning travels. There are no houses along most of the lane and cars might travel this way perhaps once per quarter of an hour.

After a pleasant walk in weak sunshine it tipped down just after I returned home. My new jacket is proving windproof without excessive warmth. Though today's 50F mildness and cloudiness is hardly a real test.

The climate news is that takeaway chains are responsible for much of the Amazon forestry burning. The report claims that they grow soy beans for animal feed and/or graze cattle on the illegally cleared, forest areas.

I thought this had been going on for decades but I may be mistaken. Years back there were stories of cowboy slaves being used to herd the takeaway's cattle on illegally cleared forest. No doubt aided and abetted by the crooked, local politicooze.


UK fast food ‘linked to Brazilian forest fires’ - BBC News

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8th October 2019 The new, winter jacket!

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Tuesday 8th 48-57F, heavy overcast and raining.

My first, newly purchased jacket in 35 years is about to be tested on a 40 minute walk to the lanes. All my previous jackets have been bought from charity shops and all failed miserably in rain. There are waterproofing treatments but I have never tried any of them.

A can of proofing was often twice the price I had paid for the jacket. I nearly bought a can at an army surplus store, once, but decided against it. It proved to be a good decision at the time. The PU coating inside the secondhand jacket was totally absent over a large area of the back and shoulders. What could cause such delamination I am not sure. Perhaps it was washed at too high a temperature? Nonetheless, the jacket was always too sweaty in all conditions despite having no insulation. In other words it was a tailored bin bag but without the waterproofing qualities. A shame because it looked smart in a country jacket sort of way. 

The new jacket only had to cope with light drizzle and a light headwind at worst. It felt snug. Without any extra and undesirable warmth. The warmth should always be controllable by what is worn underneath. Otherwise it becomes strictly a cold weather jacket. A perfect fit but a little stiff as new.

The snorkel shaped, detachable hood is obviously intended for truly foul weather but was still comfortable. A hat worn inside ensured the hood turned reliably with the head. Important for sideways observation and vital for safety in traffic. Without a hat it did not turn with my head without tightening the drawstring. The hood lay nicely flat behind me. So it would not fill with rain if deliberately worn that way with a separate hat.

Not keen on the breast level, hand warmer pockets without a soft lining. My binoculars might have  been a nuisance but I had deliberately left them at home. The lower pockets, behind the large bellows pockets, felt too low and too horizontally inclined, despite being fleece lined and zipped.

When wearing my Helly Hansen I usually stuck my hands down into the main, bellows pockets. For windproof extra warmth with inadequate gloves or bare hands. Though this risked rain running down my arms and into the pockets.

I miss not having a small, secure pocket for my phone and ID. So I just shared my camera and other items between the big bellows pockets. Not ideal because they were much lower than the HH jacket and the camera was bordering on being bounced by my legs as I walked.

The surface of the cloth was damp but not soaked by the drizzle. It would have taken larger droplets to bead off. The jacket soon dried again when left outside in the sunshine on a hanger. Despite the modest temperatures and gentle breeze. Dry weight with detachable hood fitted was 3.3lbs or 1.5kg. Which feels unusually heavy in the hands but is unnoticeable when worn.

Two minor stories on road transport and drivers ignoring the law: Denmark's police caught 10,000 speeding motorists in only one week at the beginning of October.

German police caught large numbers of people on electric scooters over the drink driving limit. An electric scooter is considered a motor vehicle according to the law. The police warned the public ahead of the October Beer Fest not to use the scooters for the duration. Their advice was ignored and 414 drivers lost their licenses for drink driving. [While riding electric scooters.]

 

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7.10.2019 Be prepared!

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Monday 7th 33-50?F, clear but still waiting for sunrise. There should be early sun but cloudy later. The car is covered in hard, rough ice and the councils have been salt spreading the roads for the first time this "winter."

Danish councils are demanding billions be spent on coastal defences. Unfortunately no pure bred Dane has yet invented coastal defences. So it is no use the Dutch offering expert advice based on centuries of direct experience.

It won't be acceptable under Janteloven. [Jante's Law] Which clearly states in umpteen different ways [all meaning exactly the same thing] that nobody should think themselves better than any Dane.

Now I'm rather torn between buying green waders or black waders.They don't seem to be available in bright orange. Just in case I am swept away by future tides. This is despite living 60 meters above sea level and ten miles from the nearest [present] coastline. You can't be too careful where these things are concerned. The Danish weather service has just released terrifying details of likely conditions by 2100. So they must be right. Or, at least as accurate as their weather forecasts? I'll be 150 years old by then and I do want to be ready. [For year round snow and ice.]

A walk to the lanes in brilliant sunshine. My bright halo surrounding my, many meters long, shadow on the fields. I snapped away at the familiar scenes in the hope of capturing the beauty of the rolling countryside. Chilly, but pleasant enough in the sunshine. The wind turbines were pretending to drain the last of the batteries before coming, very slowly, to a complete standstill. From the top of a local hill I could see the distant ribbon of sea where it is squashed between Fyn and Jylland.

It has reached 37F, now, as I wait for morning coffee and rolls. An errand in town will require the car. The planned shopping ride is on hold.

4th October 2019 St.Greta criticised by world's richest man.

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Friday 4th 45-52F, rather cloudy. A walk to the lanes under leaden skies. Though it was unusually clear. So that I was able to see local and more distant towers from different perspectives. It's odd how one's sense of scale, direction and distance can be changed by a single, large lorry moving along a distant road previously unseen.

Local hills shrink to insignificance with a person standing or walking on them. The gently humped nature of the landscape exposes and obscures. All depending on the season and even the height of the crops. There was a little sunshine at 16.45 after a long, grey day.

In breaking climate news: Tsar Putin has criticized St.Greta Thunberg for simplification of the climate problem. He complains that she didn't take into account political corruption and his vast wealth. Both of which would be at risk with his private portfolio heavily dependent on oil and gas. Experts believe Putin has siphoned off at least 200 billion during his reign as Tsar at the expense of ordinary Russians. Making him the world's richest man and his peasants some of the poorest.

Saturday 5th 41F, clears skies but no sun yet. The local news story is about a giant gas pipe [80cm Ø] crossing Denmark on its way to Poland. Farmers are complaining about the damage to their land. Archaeologists have their work cut out as the pipe line runs roughshod over historical sites. The nature lobby are unhappy about the loss of habitat.

The irony is that most of those directly affected by the pipeline aren't able to have a gas supply to their homes. It isn't economically feasible to supply gas to scattered rural homes. Which might well aid Denmark's troubling promise to reduce its CO2 contribution. There have still not been any announcements on how they intend to do it.

A walk to the lanes in bright sunshine. Definitely chillier on exposed hands in the north-easterly breeze. Not much to report beyond a few seagulls. All sitting like identical wind vanes out on the fields. The sun seems able to tidy the landscape as it makes it appear more uniform. Aided and abetted by the low, grass-like crops already sprouting from the bare earth. They stay like that all winter. Giving a pleasant, lawn-like finish to the landscape. It starts with a green blush. Which tints the rolling fields. Only when it warms up does the "grass" gain in height. Taking some months more to clearly differentiate the various crops.

Sunday 6th 38-50F, clear with only a little cloud and a fitful breeze. I walked to the village and back. The neighbour's smoke was belching from their chimney. So that the entire area was filled with the acrid reek of burning pallets. I was still choking as I walked along the main road to the sound of the other neighbour's dog. It works on a hair trigger and has been known to bark [loudly] at the sound of a footfall at 500 yards.

The sky was solid grey from just before 11am to at least 12.15. The same was true throughout the afternoon with only brief sunshine.

A Danish project is producing power from a small turbine powered by waste water from a treatment plant. Instead of passing straight into the sea the power from the 35m of fall for billions of litres of water is being harnessed. No doubt such schemes could be applied elsewhere now that a Dane has independently invented the micro hydro power plant.

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3rd October 2019 St.Greta will be very cross!

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Thursday 3rd 44-50F, rather cloudy but calm. Walked to the far woods. Well, it is the same forest as all the rest but there are bumpy fields in between. An hour and a half at a brisk pace under grey skies. It was often wet and muddy underfoot where forestry vehicle had been thinning out the conifers.

Abandon hope all ye who were fooled by the empty election promises of the new, <cough> "Green" Danish government. It was all lies, as usual, just to get their grubby hands on that fat, lifelong pension. 

They are even planning to increase taxes on electric vehicles! This after suggesting they needed half a million EVs on Danish roads to match their vacuous 2030 targets for CO2. Denmark already has the lowest take-up of electric vehicles after massive import taxes were introduced by the last lot. This promptly killed the EV market stone dead. No change there then.

Plans for buying up marshy fields from farmers to reduce serious CO2 slippage are on hold. These fields are very unproductive but farmers can claim subsidies for every square meter they own and those they don't. Of course they will want top market prices for their "finest agricultural land" and sod [sic] the CO2 problem, climate change and sea level rises. They can always claim compensation, down the road, when their fields are flooded with seawater. 

Don't believe me? Denmark is traditionally run by several, mutually parasitic, political parties. The supporting, coalition parties are all expressing their deep dissatisfaction with the lack of ambition displayed by the latest crop of vote winning, professional, musical chairs players.

When will deliberately lying to the electorate become a crime punishable by imprisonment? These members of parliament are not of merchantable quality, sort of thing? It's no wonder they don't want anything to do with consumer protection!

I was just reading how Nissan ignored a loyal EV customer's concerns about empty hype on mileage per battery charge. After years of complaining the Nissan Leaf dealer finally offered to replace the faulty battery. For little short of the price of a completely new car! This owner has never had anywhere near the claimed mileage per charge from new.

The price demanded for the new battery was three times the present value of the Nissan Leaf, of the same age, on the secondhand market. Assuming, of course, it was a "good one." i.e. A car which had actually matched Nissan's empty claims on range per charge. Do we sense another VW diesel fiasco on Nissan batteries? Owner reviewers do not seem well pleased with the Nissan Leaf's range.

It seams that car dealers never change their spots. I bet they used the same lies when they were selling steam, traction engines to farmers and hauliers. And probably horses and carts before that. It sounds as if Australia has no more consumer protection than Denmark. Or it is simply inverted? With its head buried deep in the desert sand. 

I expect Denmark will be having a visit from St.Greta Thunberg when she gets back from scowling at Oberst "Legless" Von Chump. Somebody much nearer to home needs a good scolding!

The US is presently "enjoying" record high and record low temperatures. Simultaneously with record snow falls. Talk about a divided nation! 😉

A young man in Denmark is facing confiscation of his car after he was stopped on a busy motorway. Police claim he was driving at 229kmh or 142mph while having a race with another car. The police patrol said they had great difficulty keeping up with the racing vehicles despite their own extensive experience and special training for driving at high speeds. One of the "competitors" got away. The court has now ruled that the driver will lose his car and it will be auctioned.

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2nd October 2019 On autumn sogginess.

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Wednesday 2nd 40-48F, clear and bright. First cold night this autumn steamed up all the windows. We have yet to ignite the wood stove. Both forecasters would have us believe it is cloudy. Though it isn't. Only one forecasts a wet afternoon. Eany meany..

I walked anticlockwise up to the woods by the steep track and then made the first, autumn, direct descent. The grass everywhere was extremely wet. I shall have to dig out my gaiters. There was a small [Roe?] deer  sunbathing in the hedge up on the ridge. I took several images at full zoom and cropped the best of them to bring out the deer.

I really don't want to get into DSLRs and heavy lenses just for these rare occasions. Though I ought to take some reading glasses to help me see the Lumix TZ7 screen. But what a bore to have to take out glasses every time I want to take a "snap!" Which is most of the time. I can only make out general features and am completely blind to any text or numerals on the screen. Thank goodness the menus are more "sturdily built" and therefore legible. I am a martyr to one diopter reading glasses on the computer. Though I need an additional half diopter for important things like DIY brain surgery. [Using a shaving mirror.] Lest thee doubt my words.

I should really call my photography "lucky imaging" but that is something else entirely. This is a technique where software-selected, "sharper" frames are saved from videos. To [hopefully] make an even sharper and much more detailed final "still." All the poorer frames being discarded.

A fairly large bird of prey was looking for breakfast and ignored my presence as I stared up at it through my binoculars. Pointy wings and lots of white plumage suggest a Goshawk, but what do I know?

It rained in the afternoon. Dashing all hope of a ride to collect the items only promised by the supermarkets but which inevitably failed to turn up. Yet again! Several chains couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. And that, is a mortal sin in beer loving Denmark.

I am decidedly of the opinion, that the supermarkets literally take stuff off the shelves every time there is a special offer. Then they can pocket the difference to profit from their own suppliers. Who probably subsidised the product at a discount to the chain. There is never [ever] any shortage of the special offer the week after it has finished. You can set your watch by the loaded trolley coming out of the back room. Don't get in the way of the staff!

Perhaps the new government will invent consumer protection for the Danes. Though I'm not holding my breath. After all, they haven't pushed through their plans for doubling their already, extremely generous, lifelong, tax-free pensions as a reward for a short stint of being self-important.

Still absolutely no mention of how they plan to cut CO2  by 0.00001%. Let alone 70%. Or whatever nonsense they promised an endlessly gullible electorate. We are putting off burning the last of the furniture. Just in case "They" decide to subsidise an alternative means of warming the largely uninsulated, Danish, housing stock.

Luckily we each own down jackets. These were culled from charity shops before they were stripped bare by container lorry driving, East Europeans. Apparently, and I have it on good authority, their own Mafia sells even the clothes and toys donated to charity by warm hearted, Western Europeans. Meanwhile we two, warm hearted, immigrant bods cower under blankets while we watch TV. With constant water droplets hanging from the ends of our noses as ice forms on the double glazing. I had to get rid of the central heating when we moved in.

Not only did it roar like an F16 jet engine, ready for take-off, but it swallowed heating oil like it was water. Every time we had the tank refilled, at twice-weekly intervals, the oil man insisted on checking the system. Then charging us an arm and a leg for the privilege. That system was not long for our world. Obviously installed by an amateur with a penchant for black iron piping crossing every threshold in the entire place. The same amateur who had installed doors after the medieval practice of aiming for eye level lintels. I lost more skin from my scalp in those first few weeks than in any of my previous lifetimes.

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1st October 2019 Autumn has arrived.

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Tuesday 1st October 45-50F, grey, raining and almost still. Walked to the lanes in steady rain. My back shoulders and arms were soon feeling cold from rain penetrating my old HH jacket.

Afternoon shopping ride returning heavily laden. It would have been even more if the crooks supermarkets had any stock of the advertised special offers. No bread either! Dry but grey with no real wind. Only 7 miles. Heavy traffic. First ride of the autumn wearing my cheap, supermarket tights and MTB boots. There were shorts involved too. For those of you given to such fantasies.

Still looking for more, thin, thermal vests to match the tights. The thinner the better. Because these wick moisture [sweat] away from the bod. Without having enough substance to get all wet of itself. I suffered for years after buying thick thermal vests in my youth. They were advertised in every damned break on ITV in Gravely Blighted back then. Dreadful waste of money unless you were literally comatose. Being therefore quite unable to lift a finger. Which might have left the wearer prone to the icy chill. Which was guaranteed to follow that sudden, terrifying feeling of excessive warmth. Leading immediately to a mobile sauna.

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