[EN] No comment / [RO] Fără comentarii (24) – Emergency chargers / Încărcătoare de urgenţă

[EN] When I first saw them in Brighton, I thought they are another weird Brit stuff, although they were ‘made in China’. [RO] Când le-am văzut prima oară în Brighton, m-am gândit că sunt alte ciudăţenii britanice, deşi erau ‘made in China’.

[EN] The more civilised the country you’re in, the less obvious seems the emergency. [RO] Cu cât este ţara mai civilizată în care te afli, cu atât mai puţin evidentă pare urgenţa.

[EN] As long as you’re not doing anything adventurous and not travel to remote, scarcely inhabited areas… I mean. [RO] Câtă vreme nu faci nimic adventuros şi nu călătoreşti către zone îndepărtate, puţin locuite... vreau să zic.

[EN] If you have no ‘fuel’ for a phone call, how likely is that everyone else around you have the same problem? [RO] Dacă nu ai suficient ‘combustibil’ pentru un apel telefonic, cât de probabil este ca toată lumea din jurul tău să aibă aceeaşi problemă?

[EN] And who hasn’t got a mobile phone in an EU country, in our times?! [RO] Şi cine n-are un telefon mobil într-o ţară UE, în vremurile noastre?!

[EN] Actually, these emergency mobile phone batteries (here, here, here) can be extemely useful these days. [RO] De fapt, aceste baterii de urgenţă pentru telefonul mobil (aici, aici, aici) pot fi extrem de utile în aceste zile.

[EN] Especially when you happen to be in parts of Romania swept by blizzards, facing blackouts of 4-5 days… [RO] În special când se întâmplă să fii în părţi din România măturate de viscole, înfruntând pene de curent de 4-5 zile…

[EN] …and you’re in need of making repeated calls or send SMSes to emergency services that are overwhelmed by a ‘Big Freeze’. [RO] …şi ai nevoie să faci apeluri disperate sau să trimiţi SMS-uri către servicii disperate care sunt copleşite un ‘Mare Îngheţ’.

[EN] Too bad that such batteries can’t save Nokia… But maybe states should store them along with fuel, blankets and food. [RO] Păcat că astfel de baterii nu pot salva Nokia... Dar poate că statele ar trebui să le stocheze alături de combustibil, pături şi alimente.

[EN] How long until a ‘clever guy’ makes a big business of of these items ? [RO] Cât o mai fi până ce un ‘băiat deştept’ va face profit din aceste produse?

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

Cod portocaliu [Code Orange]

De-a lungul ultimilor ani, de fiecare dacă când România a înfruntat condiţii meteorologice extreme, fusesem avertizaţi. Primisem semnalul că urmează ceva foarte rău (caniculă, furtună, inundaţie, ger etc.) – cod portocaliu.

La fel precum alte respectabile ţări UE, şi noi avem sisteme de avertizare timpurie,  iar autorităţile statului pot să anticipeze întâmplările nedorite, pentru că ştiu când, unde şi cu ce amploare vremea o va lua razna.

Însă, fără excepţie, de fiecare dată suntem luaţi prin surprindere, de la vlădică la opincă, de la premierul-lopătar până la unii şoferi care s-or crede mai tari decât orice avertizări.

Am putea să ne amăgim că şi la alţii merg lucrurile la fel de prost când dă viscolul şi gerul (Big Freeze), invocând ultimele trei ierni aspre (poate vine şi a patra?!) din Anglia şi Scoţia. Cam tot aşa de mare este surpriza autorităţilor şi pe acolo...

Totuşi, clima Marii Britanii – şi aceasta de acum, darămite cea mediteraneană pe care i-o prevăd ideologii încălzirii globale – este destul de blândă, ca să justifice precauţii excesive.

Mai ales în condiţii de datorie publică consistentă, în UK nu prea se face să investeşti masiv în tehnologii anti-zăpadă. Las’ pe oamenii cu răspundere din Canada, Rusia ori Suedia să-şi bată capul cu aşa ceva...

Ei bine, poate că în UK o ‘merge şi aşa’ (tipic româneşte să-i zicem?), dar acolo ar fi avut loc măcar un mic cutremur politic de s-ar întâmpla, precum în România, ca viscolul să lase în urmă oameni morţi de frig în maşini.

Desigur, viaţa şi moartea sunt în mâna lui Dumnezeu, dar cine s-ar putea ascunde după scuza că “aşa a fost să fie”, când este vorba de un (prevăzut!) viscol?

Fiecare dintre noi vine şi se duce de pe lumea aceasta cum îi este rânduit, dar dacă adevărata cauză a morţii este ‘ciuma portocalie’, nicidecum gerul?

La opt ani de la îmbătarea cu promisiunile de stârpire ale ‘revoluţiei portocalii’, dezăpezirea unui kilometru de drum în România este de patru ori mai scumpă decât dezăpezirea unui kilometru de drum din Finlanda.

[Pentru toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la/For all the posts on this blog go to: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (21) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Keeping in mind that “grumbling about trains being late is almost a national hobby” in Britain, I noticed this kind of ‘worries’ reflected more and more often in the online editions of British newspapers…

…and not that they would have serious topics to discuss or gossip about :-) Thus, I find myself wondering (and simultaneously asking my readers): how serious is this issue?

Last June, a BBC report noted that “the proportion of passengers satisfied with train punctuality had gone down,” compared to the spring of 2010.

Three months later, in September, The Daily Telegraph issued a stark warning, claiming that “UK train puctuality worsens”.

And let us not forget that all these ‘worries’ have been expressed long before another Big Freeze which – to the great dismay of Global Warming hysterics – could befall Britain (again, and for the fourth consecutive year) any day now!

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (20) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

Although there surely are ‘rivals’ all over Europe – especially in Germany (in Frankfurt etc) – the unofficial title ‘catherdal of train stations’ is probably well deserved by London’s St. Pancras International.

My pics don’t even catch the beautiful Victorian architecture of the main frontage… only the inside of this magnificent building, which has been the British terminus of the Eurostar since 2007.

The former ‘home’ of the Eurostar was Waterloo Station, an equally beautiful building, however, bearing a name deemed ‘offensive’ to the French ego. Today, the French Border Police can legally operate within St Pancras Int’l :-)

In multicultural London – where the French community is sizeable, while there are posters in Polish in bus stations – it’s natural that St. Pancras Int’l is a bit bilingual (pics 6 + 8).

Well connected to the big London Underground (1) and to all London’s airports, St. Pancras Int’l won’t spare people of hearing/seeing constant ‘terrorist warnings’ (2).

Apparently, the huge open space (7) makes it rather difficult for terrorists to hide, and the security checks are somewhat similar to those carried out in airports.

It’s hard to say whether the post-July 2005 bombings panic was considered when switching from Waterloo Station. Nevertheless, St. Pancras Int’l is not too big.

It can barely fit some of the people queuing because of chronic the delays of that are plaguing the Eurostar all year round, irrespective whether a ‘Big Freeze’ is taking a heavy toll on airports or not.

Travellers can at least enjoy a breathable air in summer or take cover from the rain and snow under the spectacular trainshed which truly resembles the dome of a cathedral.

Instead of an altar or iconostasis, corporate people from all over Europe (rushing to do business in the City of London) can’t miss the big clock (9 + 10) reminding them the religious precept ‘time is money’.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

God’s place in a humanist society (13) [Locul lui Dumnezeu într-o societate umanistă]

The Lord only barely blew some cold air over the UK and the ‘X-mas holidays’ (the Christ-less Christmas of so many civilised secular people) became a mess. Planes were grounded, trains – cancelled, shoppers – prevented from bursting into stores.

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People started whining, and most frustrating was the fact that there was no one to (immediately) blame for the chaos. A bit later, the guilty party was found: it’s the airport operators’ fault, the Government says; it’s the other way around, others claim.

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Across the English Channel (or La Manche), in France and Belgium (where this winter has also driven many people mad), they will need to find a scapegoat very soon as well.

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Too bad fewer and fewer civilised people these days believe that, with or without finding someone to put the blame on, no snowflake lands on the soil without God’s will and foreknowledge. Is He bad when His plans interfere with our holidays plans?

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“Oh, it wasn’t your imaginary God, you fool!,” some could dismiss my words. It’s this scientifically proven (?!) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Which, irrespective of unleashing some cold winters, ultimately contributes to Global Warming.

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If anyone cares, look for more scientific facts supporting this theory about the NAO! I find it irrelevant to the point I want to make – how secular contemporaries naively imagine that anything could be be scientifically explainable without the concept of God.

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They (apparently!) need rational and authoritative arguments, so that they could religiously adhere to them. Few are those who doubt the prefabricated truths they are told, as most people today need to fulfill a psychological urge to ‘know’.

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Which has nothing to do with actually knowing anything. It’s all about feeling that one is in control of the material world. Lies are easier to swallow than truths for that purpose. Trusting God (apparently!) means giving up one’s control over reality.

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“Who is He to know better than I do?,” asks the vain man of today. People’s hearts are so burdened with sin and deceitful surrogates of happiness, that few could possibly imagine the freedom of putting one’s heart into the Lord’s hand.

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The pursuit of happiness (apparently!) means mastering the necessary technology that would provide that happiness. Knowledge and craftmanshipship are primordial, while ethics become (apparently!) unessential.

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Technology promises to guarantee everyone’s ‘I-do-what-I-want’ but remains as fragile as human beings are; it keeps failing even when faced with powerless snowflakes. It’s so ridiculous to see our freedom restricted by winter.

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Every know and then, the Lord reminds us that heartless technology cannot save us; it often makes the chains of our sins heavier. Too bad that those acknowledging this are even fewer that when St. Nikolai Velimirovich wrote the following:

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“Ethics are likened to a lady, and technology like her handmaiden. That is why ethics have to control technology. Eternal values are the territory of ethics and not technology.

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It is devastating for an entire people to put the purpose of their lives in technology, and all of their labor and sweat they sacrifice to the advancement of technology, dragging behind them ethics, like Achilles dragged the dead Hector tied to a chariot.

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A people like that can succeed to build all of their cities from ivory and gold, but if people like Ahab and Jezebel live in them, dogs will have the last word and not people.”

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I dare not assume to what extent today’s Britons, Romanians or any other supposely civilised people are like Ahab and Jezebel. But I am sure that, even when Elijah comes, many will remain unrepentant just like those tragic characters.

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[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

About public transport in the UK (17) [Despre transportul în comun în UK]

All companies everywhere in the world promise a lot of things (most of their offers being no more that ‘PR crap’), and so was doing this Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, while I used their services almost daily.

I must say that they kept their word. I don’t know about other parts of the UK, nor whether the overall quality of service matches the subsidies (mainly for fuel) that British public transport firms are being given even after the economic crisis.

On the upper deck of its double decker buses one could read promises of “day trips” (for what they called “very reasonable prices”), of “no need to wait” (due to reliable departure times), and of “no such thing as last bus” (in the case of two lines at least).

But never count on witnessing these promised fulfilled when it snows! It’s not even necessary to have huge snowfalls and bitting frost, like in the past days, so that such a ‘good Brit example’ wouldn’t be available anymore.

The whole of Britain – including everyone form the Govermnent, to private firms, local councils, and probably most ordinary citizens – is gravely unprepared for tough winters, as even the current PM, David Cameron, proves it.

Partly, it’s because of the milder climate. It would make sense to invest in snow ploughs or stocking up too much salt & grit. But it could also be that few other countries, apart from the UK have been so hysterical about global warming, not the ‘Big Freeze’ for the past years.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

[EN] Grave and unpleasant readings / [RO] Lecturi grave şi neplăcute (7)

[EN] Even if this weren’t the harshest winter in the last 100 years (there have been worse ones) snow (pictured here by my reader C.L.) is wreaking havoc all over the UK – see here, here or here – and winter has struck the country for over two weeks.

[RO] Chiar dacă aceasta n-ar fi cea mai aspră iarnă din ultimii 100 de ani (au fost mai rele) zăpada (pozată aici de cititoarea mea C.L.) creează haos peste tot în UK – vezi aici, aici sau aici – şi iarna a lovit ţara de peste două săptămâni.
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[EN] Last winter (2009/2010) and two winters ago (2008/2009), blizzards were ridiculously explained as effects of global warming (see here, here or here). Would the brainwashed ideologues of global warming dare telling the same lies for the third time?
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[RO] Iarna trecută (2009/2010) şi acum două ierni (2008/2009), viscolele erau ridicol explicate drept efecte ale încălzirii globale (vezi aici, aici sau aici). Vor îndrăzni ideologii încălzirii globale să spună aceleaşi minciuni pentru a treia oară?

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[EN] I wouldn’t be surprised. Ever since what we now call Ancient History, telling a lie over and over again, endlessly, is a psychological weapon. More recently, Communist regimes skilfully used it, and they didn’t even need Facebook or Twitter.

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[RO] Nu aş fi surprins. De la ceea ce numim Istorie Antică încoace, a spune o mincină iarăşi şi iarăşi, la nesfârşit, este o armă psihologică. Mai recent, regimurile comuniste au folosit-o cu iscusinţă, şi le nici măcar n-aveau nevoie de Facebook sau Twitter.
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[EN] The hypocritical defenders of the planet have many Information Technology tools to rely upon, plus a seamless shamelessness. Yet there are also other perspectives than the ‘official’ lies.

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The proposed readings [I will continue to add relevant links to this list, even after publishing this post]...

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...filled up with seeds of doubt concerning this mischievous ideology are: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here or here.
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[RO] Ipocriţii apărători ai planetei au o multe instrumente de Tehnologia Informaţiei pe care să se bazeze, plus o neruşinare fără margini. Dar sunt şi alte perspective decât minciunile ‘oficiale’.

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Lecturile propuse [voi continua să adaug linkuri relevante la această listă chiar şi după publicarea acestei postări]...

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... pline cu semninţe de îndoială asupra acestei ideologii malefice sunt: aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici, aici sau aici.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]

A third consecutive harsh winter in the UK [O a treia iarnă aspră consecutivă în UK]

Although I only saw (and obviously photographed) little ‘patches’ of snow in the UK (here and here), 2010/2011 is the third consecutive harsh winter in Great Britain.

Thanking Natalia Chechina (more pics taken by her) again for these two images, here’s how true British snow looks – laid on the Edinburgh Castle.

The hardly credible Met Office – see here, here, here, here or here why – announces a White Christmas this year.

Anyway, instead of a blessing (for the British children who would rather have video games as presents, thus spend holidays indoors), the snow could be a curse for retailers.

[For all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]