BUY Land, Advised Mark Twain; They’re Not Making It Any More. In Fact, Land Is Not Really

Cafe Culture in Gourock #Gourock #inverclyde #scotland (at Fresh Gourock)

"The Martian" by Andy Weir

I'm just back from holiday. While away I read this really fun book titled "The Martian" written by Andy Weir. It is a great read, fast paced, full of action with suspense and light relief. For other Engineers like me it really brings home what we do which is to solve problems. I highly recommend this book!

Asgard

WELL begun; half done. That proverbor, rather, its obverseencapsulates the problems which have dogged civil nuclear power since its inception. Atomic energy is...

This article from The economist magazine talks about using Thorium as a Nuclear Fuel instead of Uranium.  Thorium has several advantages over Uranium and in the view of the author of this article the most important is the relative resistance to proliferation compared to Uranium.  I learned a few things from this article.  The things I learned was that the US did build a few bombs out of U233 which is the fissile element formed from the fertile Thorium.  I was always a bit unsure as to whether or not any bombs had been built.  The article also confirms my prior understanding that U233 makes a poor nuclear bomb material because of the presence of small amounts of other radioactive isotopes that emit hard gamma radiation that messes up the other mechanisms required for a bomb.

How do you get through all your emails? I don't

Tonight I am feeling a bit down. I was working on my emails at home when I remembered an important email from a student that needed a reply.  I first had to find the email which took a few minutes.  I then looked out some information.  I couldn't find the exact information I needed but I think I found enough to make a reasonable reply.

The student had written to me about resitting an exam in their home University.  This is a pretty big deal because of the cost involved in travelling from her home country back to Paisley to take a 2 hour exam.  There would probably be some accommodation and meals expenses also.  The email I was responding to had come in on the 9th of December and I was replying on the 17th.  Unfortunately, the 9th of December was beyond the cut off date for making an application to sit the exam outwith the University.  I told her this, gave her some other information and even provided an alternative that might be a better solution.  At that point I was thinking I have done as much as I can.  

I then went to file her email and guess what I found? I found another email from the same student dated 3 October.  I had never even opened this email.  It must have gotten buried before I saw it.  I am now feeling pretty down because had I picked up the first email the ideal solution could maybe have been implemented.

I do wish that this student had pestered me a bit more.  I don't hold it against someone to send a second email if the first hasn't had a response.  In addition, I have my phone and mobile numbers at the bottom of my emails.  Why don't people pick up the phone or text more?

There isn't much more to say. After I finish writing this I have to go an email the student and say I am sorry but I don't think my words are really enough.

A boring photo of the beach before today's swim. However, it was a great swim. Lowish tide coming in. Stacey Hearl, Campbell McCall and I swam 1 mile. It took us 18 minutes to the turn around and then 33 minutes coming back. Aren't tides wonderful? Water temperature 13.6 degC #scotland #inverclyde #rwsabc #openwaterswimming #greenock #theesplanade (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

After this morning's open water swim the blood was rushing back towards the skin. I was on my own and swam 417m in 13:28. Highest tide coming in. Northerly wind onto the beach gentle breeze Force 3. Water temperature 8 degC #openwaterswimming #rwsabc #greenock (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

My thoughts on the summer budget

I read the full Budget speech that George Osborne gave today.

I think that from a public relations point of view it has been a good budget for the Chancellor.  I found myself thinking, "I agree with that" when watching the news and hearing the headlines.

Now that I have read the budget I am less pleased.

I am disappointed in his Infrastructure plans to increase productivity.  

He said -

“Four fifths of all journeys in this country are by road, yet we rank behind Puerto Rico and Namibia in the quality of our network. In the last 25 years, France has built more than two and a half thousand miles of motorway – and we’ve built just 300. In the last Parliament I increased road spending, even in difficult times, and set out a plan for £15bn of new roads for the rest of this decade.”

I was disappointed in this because it makes no mention of public transport, it makes no mention of improving streets and paths to allow and encourage people to walk and cycle.  Roads and streets are important and are a good place for investment, but I am concerned that the Governments plans will see more roads built, which will then fill up with cars and lorries, leading to no net improvement in productivity or happieness.

At one point in his speech he said -

For Britain is home to 1% of the world’s population; generates 4% of the world’s income; and yet pays out 7% of the world’s welfare spending.  

What a meaningless statement!!! It may be factually correct but it is not illuminating.  We should really be proud that we spend 7% of the world's welfare spending because there are lots of places that spend zero.  

I was disappointed that the budget didn't set out any proposals to increase the affordability of housing or energy by increasing supply.  This is the other side of the tax cut coin, making peoples money go further.

A search through the budget statement shows that equality or inequality was only mentioned once.  He stated that - "In the last fortnight we’ve seen independent statistics showing that since 2010, child poverty is down and so is inequality."  I do not see this as a strong budget to reduce inequality.

I was pleased to see that non-dom status is to be phased out.

I see that corporation tax will be reduced to 18% by 2020.  I would have liked to see that a reduced tax rate associated with less unequal pay structure within corporations. Rather than just taxing high earners companies should pay more tax if they have highly unequal wage structures.  One way to assess wage structues within a company would be through the use of the Gini Coefficient.

I understand that there is going to be further tightening of the rules concerning taxation to close loopholes and I support this.

I find that the discussion of tax credit and minimum wage confusing.  I see that Ian Duncan Smith was cheering the increase in the minimum wage and I am prepared to trust his judgement.

In conclusion, I see this as a budget that was well crafted from the political point of view for middle England.  I think the Budget will not play so well in Scotland.  I am disappointed because I do not see this budget as making Britain a happier place to live.  The Chancellor and the Government don't seem to want to promote more equality, or if they do, they are limiting themselves to only a few tools.  The Budget will not improve affordability which is the other side of the tax coin when it comes to improving peoples lives.  

I hope you find these views interesting.

If you want to read the full budget statement for yourself the reference is:

Osborne, G. and HM Treasury, (2015). Chancellor George Osborne's Summer Budget 2015 speech - Speeches - GOV.UK. [online] Gov.uk. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-george-osbornes-summer-budget-2015-speech [Accessed 8 Jul. 2015].

A swim today with Colin and David along The Esplanade in a wetsuit. Swan just over 2km in 57 minutes. Water temperature 9.6 degC. This wetsuit swim was different o my more usual non wetsuit swims. The non wetsuit swims are more exhilirating. A wetsuit swim, because it takes longer, is more meditative and aerobic. Both are nice but in different ways. (at Royal West Amateur Boat Club, Greenock)

This is where I've done most of my Open Water Swimming this week. This is a lagoon in Costa Teguise which provides a sheltered place for a swim. At high tide it us over 200m long. Water temperature a balmy 19.5 degC. #lanzarote #openwaterswimming #costateguise (at Costa Teguise Lanzarote)

A lovely night for open water swimming along The Esplanade in Greenock. 😊