The Off Topic Topic

[Caliga]

Dude, you could probably afford a house that large or larger here.  Easily.

[Valmy]

Seriously? That is very creative. I guess I just presumed Sang Impur was a moral judgement not based on some racial pseudo-science which I don't think was even in existence in the late 18th century. Or that at that time the fact that the monarchs all came from the international king club meant their blood was insufficiently French or something. Huh.

Both the idea of race linked to blood and the French monarchs being of impure blood of foreigners were alive and healthy at the end of the 18th century.

Alright. I guess I was wrong. But I thought we were talking about the féroces soldats right? I guess they had impure German blood or something.

I don't know. Having to have soft polite language in a song about fighting oppressors and evil doers just seems weird. The outrage and fury at the oppressors of the world is what makes the song work.

But you are leaving out my main question here. You say that those ideas existed but are you saying that is what is being referenced in the song? Kind of a key point to leave out.

[Valmy]

Colonel Caliga is rich

You'll make even more money in HK.

Yeah ok. The cost of a house that big where he lives would get you a 400 sq ft apartment in Hong Kong.

[Josquius]

Hong Kong seems it could be a decent place to live when you're young, if you have a decent job.
Uninhabitable for families however.

[Sheilbh]

I've mentioned before that if I were a Tory minister I'd be constantly talking up the climate/energy achievements of the last 10 years - and given we were just talking about the industrial revolution this is sort of extraordinary news for the UK. We just had the first recorded Christmas Day with zero coal power

In 2009 coal was still about 20% of our energy mix - last year it was down to 1.8% which is incredible and really important in terms of the UK's carbon emissions - as seen in this chart of the carbon intensity of our energy output over the best part of the last decade:


Also as the source of that is National Grid ESO gives me an opportunity post a picture of it which I always find really cool because I'm a geek:


I have a colleague who got to go on a tour of that command room that's running the energy network in the UK and he said it was the best/most interesting thing he's ever done with work. Had loads of explanations of how it all works - I'm very jealous.

[Josquius]

Gas is the new big enemy it seems. Quite a push to phase out domestic gas. Which will be a strange change as the push has always seemed the other way with electric being the inefficient one.

[Sheilbh]

Gas is the new big enemy it seems. Quite a push to phase out domestic gas. Which will be a strange change as the push has always seemed the other way with electric being the inefficient one.

Yeah gas is an issue - it's the last carbon intensive bit of our energy mix. I don't know why domestic gas is such a bit issue but I know it is and I don't think you can build new-builds with gas any more - which I find a slight issue because I am very suspcious of electric hobs and heating

But I suppose if the electric is largely renewable and nuclear it will be better from a carbon perspective...

[Richard Hakluyt]

I think it is a timing issue. There is huge infrastructure built around gas (at least in the UK) and it will take many years to switch. So if we want to be carbon neutral by 2050 then we need to be more or less gas free and the time to start that 30-year project is now.

[Grey Fox]

What's your issue with an electric hob? And heating? Heat pumps are wonderful.

[Threviel]

... because I am very suspcious of electric hobs and heating

I think the first time you clean your induction hob after the potatoes or the milk boiled over will change your mind on electric hobs.

[garbon]

Electric is so slow. I miss turning on the heating and getting immediate warmth / don't like all the wrangling you have to do on a stove to be able to switch from boilding to a simmer (as you can't really do that in an instant like you can with gas).

[Threviel]

Electric is so slow. I miss turning on the heating and getting immediate warmth / don't like all the wrangling you have to do on a stove to be able to switch from boilding to a simmer (as you can't really do that in an instant like you can with gas).

Once again, induction is your friend here.

[Sheilbh]

What's your issue with an electric hob? And heating? Heat pumps are wonderful.

My experience is storage heaters in schools that didn't work (and according to teachers, gave you piles if you sat on them).

[Grey Fox]

You have to handle electric heating differently than a gas or oil powered one. Since, yes it is slower, you have to not turn it off. And not do giant fluctuation in settings. +/- 3 celcius. Personally, even 3 degrees is too much for me. 21, all the time.

[garbon]

Electric is so slow. I miss turning on the heating and getting immediate warmth / don't like all the wrangling you have to do on a stove to be able to switch from boilding to a simmer (as you can't really do that in an instant like you can with gas).

Once again, induction is your friend here.

Great but that's not what is common here.