Cambon

Lots of work for little gain. Better to wear slippers! Carpet with good underlay is another option. 

4 minutes ago, cissolt said:

The truly baffling part is that the climate team believe that biomass energy generation is an acceptable form of 'green energy'.  Even the lefty guardian have shone light on the damage drax is doing to the planet 

Agreed, but biomass is better than fossil.

There are answers, but governments wont listen

15 hours ago, Happier diner said:

Running a gas powered power station just as back up. That's no cheap option. Have you seen how much they spend maintaining it? 

Even if they install your beloved white elephant windmills, the gaspower station will be kept as a backup. 
 

2 hours ago, Banker said:

Have the posters who say electricity prices will double any experience, knowledge and financial forecast to back up these assertions or just pub talk or part of Daphne’s argument?

Well, the price has already doubled dud to the sudden massive increase in the price of gas last year. That price has fallen and stablised, but the electricity price is still double. 

5 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

The drive for turbines might be more palatable if we weren't already carrying £500M debts for the previous project.

As Sunak said, "There's no point in bankrupting Brits in the name of net-zero". Some people are unfortunately hell-bent on bankrupting the Manx in the name of their ideology.

Legalized theft.

5 hours ago, P.K. said:

What a very strange correlation.

What does for all the anti-vaxxer nonsense was summed up for me when Fergus Walsh, BBC's Medical Editor, visited an ICU covid ward. As they walked through the ward the Consultant in charge pointed at each bed in turn and said "Unvaccinated, unvaccinated, unvaccinated, unvaccinated, unvaccinated..." and so on through the whole ward.

It did make me wonder how many unnecessary deaths from covid were caused by the anti-vaxxers peddling their unscientific, dangerous nonsense...?

Of course, they'll never take responsibility for their actions...

 

Thanks PK. Personally, I am not anti-vax, and had my first three jabs. However, after reaction to the third, I will not be having any more.

We have always been told it is impossible to vaccinate against a cold. Covid is a cold virus. If I could go back, I would not have had any of the vaccinations. 

5 hours ago, Happier diner said:

Wouldn't a working windfarm have half paid for itself within 1 year

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/manx-utilities-records-42-million-loss-over-past-year/

If only we had had one when gas was so expensive

Smoke and mirrors. Gas price spiked early last year and futures were back to normal range by July. I reckon they have created a paper loss to justify another future tariff hike. 

26 minutes ago, A fool and his money..... said:

The problem is we have an ageing population, like many other western countries. This is basically caused by the post -war baby boomer generation now reaching retirement age and skewing the population statistics meaning we have too many people retired and draining the NHS compared to how many people we have working.

Government's answer to this so far is to throw money at working age people to come and live here - £4000 NI holidays, relocation expenses, you name it - regardless of whether they are two or twenty years from retirement, unsurprisingly, this isn't working.

What's always missed in discussions on this subject is the problem's potentially temporary nature. The boomers are but one generation, gen X, y etc. will not necessarily lead to the same problems, life expectancy rates are slowing.

However what the island plan is trying to do is create another boom generation here. What do we do when they retire?

I am of the last year of baby boomers. I collect my state pension in just over four and a half years. Older boomers are already dying out. The government answer was actually raise the retirement age to 67. Talk of everyone living into their 80s is simply marketing the retirement age increase. Look in the obituaries or check you local graveyard. Death does not discriminate. Yes there are more octogenarians, because there are more people. 

13 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

I would ask anybody with a memory of the times to compare Douglas Promenade of a Friday or Saturday night in the early and mid 90s to the same location and nights today.

Then tell me that nightlife hasn't been destroyed and/or we aren't in a recession or something equating to it.

Different times. A lot more young people don’t drink these days. They are not interested in going out as much. They prefer to spend time with friends talking, go for a pizza, Netflix and chill. That sort of thing. 
Netflix did not exist back then, nor did smartphones, ipads, and so many other things that are here and relevant to day to day life. 
CrazyDave mentioned loads of night venues in his post. I could add to it. But they were not all there at the same time. It has always been three or four venues and that is still true today. Times and requirements have changed and so have the types venues. 

20 minutes ago, CrazyDave said:

There is also the fact that the more old people who are here, the less the place is attractive to younger people and so they are more likely to leave.

People might not like it, but it’s true.  Young people want to live in areas with other young people and the related facilities and activities.

Young people leave school and go to college in uk for three years. In that time, they basically start a new life, with new friends and interests. They have essentially left home. Why should they return here? They are already at home. Coming here is not returning. It is a life move. If we want to attract young people to stay here, we need to offer alternatives to college in the uk and beyond. The drop in 6th formers seems to indicate that we are achieving this. 
Nothing to do with old people. Nothing to do with facilities and activities. 

I think Tesco Express, Vic Road-is probably Winerite store. 

4 hours ago, thommo2010 said:

It's all about optics Politicians are all serve serving and regardless of who is in charge not much will change. Joe Biden or Donald Trump much like the Uk and between Sunak and Starmer is like choosing between a boot in the balls or a punch in the face

Thing is Biden is weak. Everyone knows that. All over the USA, politicians are desperate to pin anything on Trump to stop him running, because they basically know he will get in. Interesting times. 

I read the other day than Hertz car rental is selling their EVs and going back to IC. Reason being repair costs, in particular the Teslas. 

51 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I don't think so, they were installed to improve the flow of traffic, which they do when used correctly. 

They ran out of money. Same as the horse trams and a few other bits that have not been completed. 

29 minutes ago, CrazyDave said:

Which is rarely possible, because there is usually an idiot treating them as a roundabout and coming to a complete halt to "give way" to someone.

In an ideal world we would have police down there strictly enforcing a 10mph limit, and tazering anyone who brings their vehicle to a stop.  

The thing that brings the traffic to a stop are the zebra crossings 

1 hour ago, CrazyDave said:

You literally just explained why they were installed!!! That is exactly what they are designed to do 😂

They were installed because DOI ran out of money, and couldn’t afford to install round abouts. 

I just had a telephone call from somebody at an organization called Blue World, who claim to be dealing with the acquisition of Aviva PLC. on behalf of a client. The person seemed to know quite a lot about me. She tried to get me to give her more information, which I refused. She said she would call again in a few days. 
 

A quick look on the internet and I don’t see anything suggesting an acquisition. Quite the opposite. Beware! 

3 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

I've been suggesting that for years but the gov. just tell me that they can't do it because of the tax regime we share with UK.

I presume they mean fuel tax and VAT?

Yes, but it is inaccurate. I.o.M. can apply to have a special VAT rate on individual goods of services, such as the 5% rate on heating oil, and building work and supplies. Perhaps they could request a 25% VAT rate on petrol and diesel? 
Additionally, the VAT on heating oil needs to rise. 

2 hours ago, CrazyDave said:

It’s not big enough, and there is already a shortage of car parking down there most days.

Won’t work.

Next

The only reason for a lack of parking is the government workers. There is plenty of space for buses. More than that strip on Lord St. and it is covered. Coaches and buses only out the front. Taxi, pickup and drop off up the side in the coaches only area. It is so damn simple and cheap! 

3 hours ago, Max Power said:

I'm talking about the absolute shithole that is Lord Street that needs development, not the bus station. Didn't you read the post?

I'm not sure that the Sea Terminal is the answer without a lot of restructuring, and even if that is possible. 

In my opinion having the DoI offices there is a waste of a building, it should be used for more social and tourism based functions. 

The Sea Terminal is the obvious place. Virtually every bus already goes past there on the way to Lord Street. All they need to do is change a bit of signage, buses and coaches only at the front. Pick up and drop off for boat at the side. 

One important point that has been missed is that the bus station is a route change point. One can wait a considerable time between services. So somewhere warm and comfortable is required. 

12 minutes ago, finlo said:

Because it would make the current fibre rollout obsolete?

EXACTLY! 
 

It is just that 95% of people don’t realise how fast 4G can be, and how slow 802 wi-fi can be. 
 

They just think faster is better. 

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

Just because they're doing it for the wrong reason doesn't mean they're wrong though.  If you look at the area to be used it's a bit tight and you need to take into account the needs of the main terminal users, the sea passengers, at busy times and the possibility of expansion. And you need to consider the effect on road traffic.  I suspect those calling for it will be the first to moan if they're always being held up to let buses in and out and let passengers cross to get there.

These things need to be thought through and assessed.  Deciding on a solution and then trying to make reality fit is how the DoI has been operating for decades and  do the results strike you as good?

The reason traffic is so bad is the result of previous bad decisions, like effectively closing down Walpole Avenue, the one way system on North Quay, Tesco debacle, etc.  Pace for pace, it is no further to walk from M&S main door than the existing bus stops. Possibly a bit more exposed, yes. However, the sea terminal is underutilized , especially in the winter. Linking public transport in this way is a no brainer. At the moment, it is like having the airport bus stops in Ballasalla. Completely stupid! 

45 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

About the only thing that that ridiculous letter does cover is the possible use of the Sea Terminal:

This isn't the real reason of course - it's that the DoI bigwigs don't want to lose their parking.  But looking at the site and the number of buses that would be using it, it would probably be a bit of a push, especially when you consider the existing needs of sea passengers and taxis etc at busy times.  It's also a bit further out and inhospitable for bus passengers who are often less mobile, burdened with shopping and children etc.

Losing some of their parking hits the nail on the head! One big sign saying BUSES ONLY pretty much covers it, along with the coach parking area of the sea terminal a drop off point. Also it would help (regardless of Sea Terminal) to make Walpole Avenue one way the other (original) way. At the moment it is pointless. 
 

8 hours ago, CrazyDave said:

Arrow can’t dock until after Manxman leaves in the morning.

So stuff is much later getting u loaded.  Hence the impact to businesses and hence my post.

Why? There are two link spans. Manage it in the summer with manannan and Arrow at times.