eddie-brown.net blog

I have mentioned 999 before. The UK government is now piloting a new non emergency number - 101. The idea is that this will take the strain off 999, as it will be a central pint for reporting various nuisances. Currently to talk to your local police you have to go to the station (where ever it is, whenever it is open) or you can phone them. But the phone number is going to be 0845 or 0870, so this costs you a lot. and then there is probably a queue…. so you have a few options. press ahead with calling the number, or don’t bother at all, or hey, just call 999…..

But, is it really a good idea?

So is a new number going to reduce stupid calls to 999? is it going to generate lots more calls which previously people would not have bothered with? will it generate so many calls that you cannot get through? will calls be made to 101 that should be to 999?

Of course the only way to answer these questions is to pilot it… and see how it goes. One hopes that there are enough resources to ensure the system doesn’t topple over to begin with. the system can always be scaled back later….

Isn’t it Ironic, that in this world of ease of communications, the hardest bit is working out who to communicate with, and then the signal to noise ratio?

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Not exactly Fear Uncertainty and Doubt, except for when we use a Spanish menu, and a bit of guesswork. This is the fud you can eat. That is food spelt "F, U, D".

Now, it has been said that I like my food. and it is true, I have a reasonable appetite. I also understand the importance of eating enough, and the right stuff. In the UK this means that if i am active, then I tend to want a cooked breakfast, lunch and tea. And this is probably the root of my problems in Spain…. for starters there is no cooked breakfast. and then i have to wait till 9pm at the earliest to even start tea (it has to be ordered…. and then turn up…)

but really I have probably whinged about this too much…. When in Rome, maybe one should do as the Romans do…

My appetite has done some good things for me though. In the old days on tall ships you could only get seconds on the 2nd sitting, nothing new there, but importantly two watches eat first sitting, and only one plus day workers on the second. So generally you only eat 2nd one day in three. Somehow I came to an agreement with the cooks mate, if i did some washing up, then i could appear on 2nd sitting for desert too… and thus I did a lot of washing up. And maybe this played a part in my becoming a cooks mate, which in time would lead to my being a Watch Leader.

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Not exactly Fear Uncertainty and Doubt, except for when we use a Spanish menu, and a bit of guesswork. This is the fud you can eat. That is food spelt "F, U, D".

Now, it has been said that I like my food. and it is true, I have a reasonable appetite. I also understand the importance of eating enough, and the right stuff. In the UK this means that if i am active, then I tend to want a cooked breakfast, lunch and tea. And this is probably the root of my problems in Spain…. for starters there is no cooked breakfast. and then i have to wait till 9pm at the earliest to even start tea (it has to be ordered…. and then turn up…)

but really I have probably whinged about this too much…. When in Rome, maybe one should do as the Romans do…

My appetite has done some good things for me though. In the old days on tall ships you could only get seconds on the 2nd sitting, nothing new there, but importantly two watches eat first sitting, and only one plus day workers on the second. So generally you only eat 2nd one day in three. Somehow I came to an agreement with the cooks mate, if i did some washing up, then i could appear on 2nd sitting for desert too… and thus I did a lot of washing up. And maybe this played a part in my becoming a cooks mate, which in time would lead to my being a Watch Leader.

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Hmmm, two chappies with guns have appeared in the hotel bar. A quick beer for lunch maybe?

Reminds me that I am (still) abroad. Its been almost a month now, but I will be back on Wednesday evening. And then its only 4 weeks before we go on holiday to Ireland

More later, but feeling a bit crappy today. Its either a cold or hay fever, but combined with the tenuous association I have with Spanish mealtimes, and the coughing from the next door room in the early hours of the morning, its laid me low right now.

Time to go and listen to the Now Show, and other pod casts, with nibbles in my room i think….

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This is a post that I have probably made before in some respects. It harks back to the two chestnuts of being a guy who wants to go out into the world, and one who wants to stay at home with the Mrs. Not to put too fine a point on it…

I should imagine my HR record at work probably shows exactly when over my time of employment i have had any relationship going on. Generally if single then seeing the world whilst working for Installation and Commissioning seems like the best plan. And if I have a girlfriend then i suddenly prefer a job that means I am doing 9-5 and not away at weekends.

Now this should not quite match with the person many readers know me to be. I threw myself into DramSoc at university. Intense periods of long hours to focus on "The Show" or I disappear for a couple of weeks and immerse myself in the merchant navy as pat of the crew of a tall ship. And then there is the work, where I pretty much jump at the chance to go to site.

Really there has to be a balance to all this. both my home life, and my work life are important to me. As is my sailing life…. and these things contradict each other. So what it comes down to now is a need to get my fixes of action away, and then the rest of the time enjoy the life i have built myself at home, including the commitment I try to make to scouts, and some climbing too.

If i stopped my travelling entirely then i don’t think i would be entirely happy. But i don’t now believe I would be entirely happy if all i did was travel. I am not quite that type of guy, almost but not quite. I have now made my bed, and usually I will return home each night to sleep in it.

So what is still missing? Well, there is an entire world out there folks. Some of you have been out to see it. Some are out there living in it right now, be it in Europe or further afield. I didn’t take a year out to travel either before or after university, and in some respects I regret that. But on the other hand, I am where I am - would I be here otherwise? So dare I say it but travelling will have to wait. Its amazing how i can make some real long term plans. So here are a few

• Travel - see the world

Travel - see some more

• Maybe do something crazy like sail across the Atlantic

These are things I would like to do. One day. Maybe I never will, but they are there at the back of my mind, biding their time…. and in small pieces they are perfectly feasible. Who knows what my future might hold in this respect? So long as I am happy….

(and you know I hate to do this in public, but…)

And here can go a public apology to they who have to put up with my occasional disappearing acts. And public thanks that they do, and the hope that they will continue to do so.

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This might be my last update about Spain from Spain. I am due to return to UK either at the end of this week, or early in the next. Fun, Fun.

This week has been more work based, and only a 1 and a bit day weekend. I think I have managed to establish the work priorities amongst the team i am meant to be supervising, and I have also been able to start commissioning some machinery. This latter part is good as it is the experience I have been desperately after, and the supervision work is not really a full time activity for me.

On Saturday afternoon (as we worked in the morning) I joined the shopping expedition. It was either that or the net. I just about managed to resist the lure of buying lots of DVDs… I still have three to watch from the previous week (thanks to borrowing Star Wars II and III of which I have as yet only watched the latter) In the evening we eat out at El Baron, and then hit the town (today I have been avoiding smoke if possible, I had my fill last night. thanks.)

Today has been spent almost entirely on the net. well, once I got up, and when i was not waiting for my PC to charge again. Whilst it charged I used my PC to listen to the Now Show for last week, and a couple of last week’s newspods.

All in all just a chilled out day.

In theory I have now settled into routine. There will be no continuity for me, but i think i have done what was expected of me, if not a little more, and I think the experience has been useful, but that really is another post….

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I used to have authorisation from the Scout Association to supervise climbing and abseiling activities on artificial walls and structures fit for purpose. And I want it back (I had two authorisations, but they are always time limited). but things have changed I think, so I am waiting for someone to get back to me with details of what I want to do.

In the meantime, it looks like their might be a more achieveable award than SPA perhaps…

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I have added more pictures to the Spain gallery. The later ones are of around the town, and the castle that overlooks the town.

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The nice people at Purple Cloud who I use to host this website and provide me with mail services have been revamping their services. This might have caused a few issues (possibly a bit of downtime, and I did lose one post whihc has been restored) and could impact my email, but they have been good to me in the years I have been hosting with them, so as soon as I can, I will be renewing my hosting package….

Will just have to work out what the best package to renew as is, and await the reopening of their renewals!

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