Daily archives: June 16, 2006

Industry's £500million of wasted energy

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A study for the Carbon Trust says that UK businesses will waste more than £500m worth of energy over the summer months. Businesses could cut their energy bills by as much as 15% if they were more careful about energy usage.

Last summer I was working in a hospital. It wasn’t the best office for natural light, but when there was no-one else there and the sun was good enough I’d turn off a bank of lights. Sooner or later one of the bosses, who worked in another office, would come along, turn the lights on again and tell me off for saving energy (okay, not for saving energy, in fact they never actually explained why it was so bad I was turning off lights that weren’t in use).

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Heavensent 5.9

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Morn asked Marra about the jewellery. She simply nodded in the direction of the returned XO, “Because he recognises it.”

The XO made his way over slowly. “The captain apologises, but he cannot be here to talk with you. He is very busy.”

Morn motioned to a seat by Marra. The XO looked ready to panic, but with no other options, he had to take it. Marra hid her smile. “The captain is busy.” the XO repeated to fill the silence, “He is always busy nowadays. I suspect he is planning something.”

Morn nodded. Marra tried to get the XO to look her in the eyes. “We have radio aerials strung up in the trees. They can bounce short-wave signals off the upper atmosphere and we can pick them up. We still have an old clockwork coder, and I do not think the Southerners have cracked that yet. Besides which, I think all the instructions are cryptic anyhow.”

“What is your name?” Marra asked gently.

“Dack, your maj…..”

Morn extrapolated the cut off word. He glanced at Marra, who nodded ever so slightly. “Dack. I believe we share the same nation. The last I heard, our homeland was not sending its young men to fight for the North or the South.”

“You have not been there since you were a child. The families do not rule any more. You were exiled for very little gain. The army took control when it was obvious they were due to be rolled over by the South and opened the capital to them. Those of us still loyal to heredity left the country and took up with any armed force opposing the South.”

“Would you consider returning?”

“If you commanded me to.”

“I am the deposed queen of a conquered land. I am hardly in a position to order anything of you. I have also promised Morn I shall accompany him on his quest.”

“Perhaps I could also help. If my services are no longer required here. Would you accept another companion?”

“Gladly.” Morn smiled. “We should be leaving in the morning.”

“Then I had best consult with my captain.” Dack stood and left.

Heavensent 5.10
Heavensent 5.8
Heavensent 1.1

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The genius sperm bank

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Did this guy talk to my old English teacher?

Robert Klark Graham, inventor of the shatter-proof spectacle lens, was so worried that untermenschen “retrograde humans” were breeding too much that he set up a special sperm bank. This genetic repository would only hold the seed of geniuses.

Graham wanted to recruit the choicest sperm he could find. He initially convinced three Nobel Laureates to donate, including the notorious racist William Shockley. But elderly sperm – albeit eminent – was not good for freezing, so he decided to cast the net wider.

via Warren Ellis

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Architecture Week

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Buildings are more interesting than footballers (and cleverer, too). It’s Architecture Week. Here’s everything going on in the Northwest region. There are a number of architecture walks that look interesting and the FIBA Awards – Feeble Ideas and Bad Architecture. Should be interesting.

Don’t forget that Bike Week starts on Saturday. Find out more about the best form of urban transport and get your kids interested in a proper sport.

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