Why I love the train and hate the plane.

Traveling to Europe recently I went out by train to Gent via Brussels then on to Köln where I flew back to England.

Going out I took an early train from Brighton to London arriving as the sun was coming up. The station at both ends has good shops that are open all the time the station is open. They are near shops that stops them inflating the prices too much and gives you a good choice of options.

The Eurostar checkin recommends you get their 30 minutes before your train should leave but could easily still get the train if you arrive with 5-10mins before departure. I got there a bit earlier, after about 10 minutes of queuing was through the gate, security and plenty of time to grab a coffee to take on board the train. Shortly after grabbing the coffee the gates opened and was shortly on the train.

A nice pleasant journey to Brussels where you can get up, walk around go to the bar / restaurant or as I chose stay put and drunk my coffee and read the paper.

Arrive in Brussels and a short walk to the correct platform and I was on a train to Gent. Arrived there feeling refreshed and in a good mood.

Then coming home....

Well to get to the airport you have to get on a train anyway. This takes you to the airport amusement park. Miles form anywhere you are a captive consumer. Barely any choice, overpriced goods. You are recommended to get there 2 hours before the flight, get there later than 30 minutes before the flight and you may not be let on the plane. If they let you through the boarding and security you would probably have to run quite some distance to get to the plane.

Typically you have to queue to check in, get through to security, at security, at passport control, to board the plane and to get a seat on the plane. Then more delays getting off the plane, hike to baggage claim and potentially a long wait for you bag. Then most likely a train to finish the journey.

To avoid one of these delays I decided to just take a carry in bag. Unfortunately unknown to me these no longer need to be weighed at check-in so I queued there for no reason, like the person in front of me, to be told I could have gone straight to boarding/security area by the nice German lady spitting the words out like we were all crazy.

Having not flown for a while I was not sure if the stupid no liquids rule still applied. There was noting about it in the printed ticket I has. Did not mention it on the DO NOT TAKE THESE ITEMS ON THE PLANE signs. Apparently it does then. I had a drink with me and was given the option of throw away, go outside and drink or give it to someone in the airport if anyone was seeing me off. Bin it was then which seemed a bit wasteful. When explaining that anything that he could turn upside down and would pour out is a liquid and not allowed in units of over 100ml. Then asked to check my tooth paste. Which I believe is a paste and not a liquid! Along with not being able to pop out for a smoke on the long wait until you actually get to sit down on the plane, other annoyances include having to watch the safety demonstration, keeping seatbelts on all the time (recommended) being interrupted by someone trying to flog you stuff you were not allowed to bring on three plane yourself and being told not to use electronic devices at take off and landing.

So if I get it right you must not use your phone because it could crash the plane but you are allowed them on the plane.

You are not allowed to take onboard your own liquids because the could be used to crash the plane but are allowed to buy overpriced replacements once on the plane.

Finally you are obviously more likely to need to know what to do in the event of surviving a plane crash than a train crash.

I and now wrapping up on the nice train trip back to the south coast and have cone to three conclusion that flying is like taking part in a survival game show, where as international trains are like relaxing and watching cinema.

In future I may just travel to paces I can get to by train...

Supermoon = Superlow tides

The Chinese in Africa.

A tricky one this. Is the huge investment in Africa by the Chinese a good thing for Africa?

Let's start with what little I know. Firstly the Chinese will happily invest in any country, human rights issues are not even considered. Then there is the type of investment. Which mainly seems to be, build the infrastructure to ship natural resources out of Africa and Chinese products back into Africa.

Though it seems the infrastructure in many places is the bare minimal needed. Often built and run by the Chinese with only low paid jobs for the African nationals. There are sometimes big local companies set up with the local government. Presumably to give the impression that it's a local business. Then again it's not going to be hard to let corruption and miss-management of funds run the company into the ground. Then you can come in and buy the company, install a Chinese workforce for all the skilled jobs and you now own a huge company that is more than likely a monopoly.

Obviously you give the local government their cut with tax and sweeteners. After all having the same dictator or 'only option' elected leader in power for a long time allows you to do long term planning. Like invest in a railway to get to the mine. Invest in the mine to improve investment. Take control of the mine to improve profitability. Invest in the railway to meet maintenance costs. Buy the railway to make it profitable.

Within a decade or two you can help set up a national monopoly and privatize it while making it look like you are just trying to help. Then you can ship all the resources you like back to resource poor China to make all those cheap products. To then ship these products all over the world, including Africa. For there comes another drawback to the Chinese deal. The more Chinese you have working in these new industries, the more services run by Chinese you have. Shops, doctors, banks and entertainment run by the Chinese for the Chinese. Some of these can even under cut the locals with Chinese food or cloths shipped in from China.

Just like the west did for the last couple of centuries the Chinese seem to be taking and giving very little back. Yes you may get some perks like better roads or a mobile phone network. Also the local government will get more money but this is unlikely to filter down to the poor. Along with this you have jobs being replaced by technology and foreigners.

The only real advantage is that better roads, phone networks, internet connection or any other kind of communication infrastructure helps the local start up business. Good communication is important to business and any good business person can utilize good communications to make money and grow.

I guess the question is are more people disadvantaged by the Chinese or are more people better off?

Wrong advert for a tsunami

While the Japanese tsunami was unfolding I was watching live TV from Japan on http://www.ustream.tv/

Every time I dropped in to watch it the above advert was playing followed by images of the awesome destructive power of water.

To go from happy fluffy kids playing around in water to images of water destroying buildings and washing away thousands of lives seemed quite disturbing.

Definitely did not make me want to rush out and book a holiday.

I think in hindsight it may not have been the best advert for the time and content. 

Don't ask!

If you don't ask you don't get.
If you do ask you don't get.

Why the no-fly zone is the wrong move.

Hello. It's the 21st century.

Let's have a look first at the no fly option.

1 Will take ages to set up.
2 Will be controversial.
3 May not stop the problem.
4 Very, very expensive.
5 Decisions and enquiries will all be secretive.

Basically your looking at planes permanent flying over the country, refueling planes flying about. Ships and massive movement of people.

Now here is my high tech option.

Step one.

Satellite. Probably already been done anyway.

Get a snapshot of the country. Eliminate all the areas where there are definitely no airplanes or helicopters.

Step two.

Droids. Probably also already done.
Send in high altitude drones to monitor the active areas. Locate and track airborne vehicles.

Step three.
Open source.
Open the droid feeds. Tell the whole world what they have, where they are and how often they have been used since surveillance started. Broadcast live(ish) feeds of the big threats. So if they are used the world knows.

Obviously you may be saying they will shot down the droids. Maybe but they are relatively cheap and no humans will die. It will show they have something to hide if they do start shooting. There is always the option that they may not shot. Maybe their technology will not be as agile as the droids. Maybe they will think the publicity would be bad. Maybe they will flee realizing the game is up.

Step 4
Missiles.
Hands up if you have seen on tv someone explaining how we have missiles that can be flown for many kilometers and hit a car in a field.

We have some very smart weapons. Unfortunately often with dumb humans controlling them.

You plan out the best way to target and destroy the aircraft. Be it from planes, ships or another continent.

Announce when you will do it. Noon on a clear day would be best.

Keep the droids monitoring the situation in case of hostages being amassed around crafts. Leaflet the areas making sure everyone knows the times and places.

If everyone does the sensible thing of getting the hell out of the area. You blow them all up.

If they gather round the crafts to protect them. Well then they can't be used. So double win.

Step 5
Compensation
After the trouble has settled down. You use the money you saved to pay the (hopefully) new government for their loss.

Which does not have to be used for military purchases.

Can't quite see the Yanks or Brits governments going for this though and you know the French and Russian governments will object.

It may have flaws, but it's got to be worth a shot as a cheap option.

Videos I've previously posted to Facebook. Pt2

Music



























Toys



Content pulled by stupid companies.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)
Butthole Surfers - Summer in the City

Stupid fun















Movies





Others







Not embedable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hgTLQBKe4k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8EEWWi3ABk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpMMjz4yQPM

http://www.youtube.com/chromefastball