It’s probably ok

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You can’t judge a book by it’s cover (you can’t judge Lethal Weapon by Danny Glover), but you can look at a headline and think… hang on a second…

Hang on a second…

Nuclear Wasps were so far down my “Things We Need To Be Worried About” List for 2025 that they didn’t even make Page 3. And I think that’s a clear sign of just how horrific a state the planet is in, given that they’d definitely be in the Top 20 in most other years.

Apparently – “apparently” – it’s nothing to worry about:

The report said that the nest was on a post near a tank used to store nuclear waste and that it “was probing 100,000 dpm/100 cm2 beta/gamma.” This contamination level “is greater than 10 times the total contamination values” listed in federal regulations for areas that require contamination posting and monitoring, the report said. Still, it concluded that the radioactivity of the nest was considered to be from “onsite legacy radioactive contamination not related to a loss of contamination control.”

But you can’t help but think that no contaminated wasp nests would surely be a better situation for us to be in.

I mean, whatever next? Radioactive Shrimps?

Oh. Oh dear.

Keeping A Lighthouse

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You know me. I like lighthouses.
There are many (or more) posts on the blog which refer to lighthouses.
Ones in the UK, the IOM, in SA, in France, even one in Germany.

And so I was delighted to stumble across a new Youtube Channel by a lighthouse maintenance engineer, called Keeping A Lighthouse. All the information that you could ever want about his job… er… keeping a lighthouse running, and a chance to see the inside working bits that you never usually get to see.

Described as:

A personal view of looking after lighthouses around the UK and the Channel Islands. My main aim is to give people an insight into the work that we carry out in order to keep the Aids to Navigation working but also to hopefully inspire others to get into a similar line of work.

it does get a bit technical and nerdy, but that’s really no big deal, because again, no matter the subject, to find someone that is passionate about their job and who wants to share that passion is always a real bonus, and Scott is certainly that sort of person.

Uploads are a bit sporadic, but they do happen and they’re really interesting when they do.

To accompany the channel, there’s an Instagram account as well with loads of good stuff.

Go and give it a watch and a follow.

Miserable Saturday? Not really

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Grey and wet. Cold. I’ve stayed home and lit the fire ready for the United game.

But…

Out for a celebratory meal later with the news that Little Miss 6000 stormed through her exams with amazing results, and the Boy Wonder has been taken on for a 6 month paid fellowship, hopefully then leading into a full time position.

So it might not be lovely outside, and the first half of the year might have been pretty awful, but maybe things are beginning to turn around?

Let’s temper that positivity by popping on the football.

Panthers – It’s happened again!

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Aussie sport?

You betcha, mate! I love a bit of Rugby League.

After last week’s incredible extra time finish to their match against the Melbourne Storm – see here for details – the Penrith Panthers were pegged back and forced into Golden Point time again in today’s game against the Canberra Raiders.

There was a very short bit of to and fro, and then the Panthers’ Nathan Cleary got a chance to go for the field goal to win the match… and… this happened:

Absolutely unbelievable. And despite there being another big match directly after this one, the commentators couldn’t stop talking about this moment. And who could blame them?

Sport, eh? It’s often mundane, it’s occasionally exciting, and then sometimes – in moments like this – it’s absolutely… everything.

You couldn’t write a finish like this. No-one would believe you.

Buying beer in Finland

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I haven’t. And I’m not planning to. But if I were planning to, then why would I not go with this pack of Keisari lager from local brewer Nokian Panimo – literally “Nokia Brewery” – which yes, is in the city of Nokia, which yes, is where the phone brand started out.

But you won’t find 3310 cans in this case:

It “only” contains 3241. Which I think is a bit of a missed opportunity – for foreign nerds, at least.

€6,773.69 is R139,425.57 this evening, which equates to about R43 (€2.10) a can. And that’s really good value for Finland, where an average beer will set you back an average of €7. Albeit that that’s a draught in a restaurant, this is still a very good price.

And remember, even here in SA, beer is expensive.

Of course, aside form the price, there will be some other issues. Like how many friends you will need to have to help you drink it before the best before date. As an example, ten of you at four cans a night (or four of you at ten cans a night, I guess) will still take almost three months.
And how to get it to wherever you’re going to serve it.
And how you’re going to keep 3241 cans of lager cold.

But these are minor matters when it comes to the glamour and the fame that will come with buying The Emperor of Giant Beer Packs: The Very Biggest Pack In History, no less.

I’m tempted.