Off Topic Chat. (MOD NOTE post# 3949 and post#5279)

yubabill · 21-06-2019 7:15pm

Hydrogen is a better bet as a fuel in the mid-to-long term.

I made an unsuccessful application to fund research for an improved water electrolysis method a couple of years ago, so I supposed I'm not entirely impartial in my view.

Right now, over 90% of the hydrogen produced is from oil by-products (because it's cheaper) but there should come a time when it can be produced cheaply from water.

I won't be changing to EV's when they ban internal combustion engines, at least not unless they get very cheap to offset having to replace the batteries - not going to happen any time soon. They'll probably rent you the batteries and you can guess that the rental will probably be somewhere around the cost of running a car on petrol or diesel and likely a bit more, just because....insert the usual reasons.

Did you know that Tesla EV's run on thousands of 18650 batteries? - Yes, the ones you use in your flashlight.

oldgit1897 · 21-06-2019 7:33pm

Cass wrote: »

How about quadrupling taxes to pay for non existent green schemes, and then granting a drilling license to China (CNOOC & Exxon) to test drill off the coast of Kerry.

Eamon Ryan and Brid Smith, what did poor old Ireland ever do to deserve twits like these :mad: ?

tac foley · 21-06-2019 8:15pm

Even more common is methane, produced by the hundreds of cubic metres daily by the Southern end of cows. It might pong a bit, but cheap? Not even expensive enough to be called cheap.

Grizzly 45 · 22-06-2019 1:44am

BattleCorp wrote: »

I
The theory behind it was to dam up a fjord type inlet somewhere in Ireland. Then when it is windy, use the wind power to supply the national grid and to also pump water into the blocked up fjord. Then, when there is no wind power, release the water from the fjord through a hydroelectric station and this would then supply the national grid.

Talk about violating the laws of thermodynamics...:rolleyes:
Oh yeah ,whats the other bright idea..Heat your house using heat pumps.
Not a bad idea at all,if you can drill deep enough,or have a large field or a body of water to sink the heating coils,and dont mind replacing every five years FREON GAS that is needed to work as the heat exchange medium,and also burns holes in the ozone layer...Or isnt that a thing anymore either??:rolleyes:

Grizzly 45 · 22-06-2019 1:54am

oldgit1897 wrote: »

Y

There already is ethynol in petrol, about 10% by volume afaik, its not all plain sailing with it, it absorbs water from the air and can rot fuel tanks, and it can also attack certain plastics and rubbers.

The biggest problem is actually cold starting an engine with it.It has a much lower octane rating and ignition temp than petrol.You would need a kind of dual fuel system to get optimum performance.Use th alcohol in town driving,start with petrol and switch over to alcohol after 5to10 mins engine warm up.Plus fuel injected engines are a PITH to convert.

We could also go back to steam cars! Dont laugh,a modern stem car is almost indisinguishable from a normal engined car.After all,the internal combustion engine was developed from the steam engine.One tremendous advantage to a steam car is there is no need for a gear box! And the engines can last over one million miles with little maintence either.

Grizzly 45 · 26-06-2019 6:44pm

Very important to know which pest species you are dealing with;:D

Grizzly 45 · 27-06-2019 11:31am

And we are going to send this stupid tax dodging langer off to Brussels to repersent us???:P:P
Kids dont do drugs...

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/wallace-proposes-reintroducing-grey-wolf-to-combat-bovine-tb/

oldgit1897 · 27-06-2019 10:03pm

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

And we are going to send this stupid tax dodging langer off to Brussels to repersent us???:P:P
Kids dont do drugs...

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/wallace-proposes-reintroducing-grey-wolf-to-combat-bovine-tb/

Please tell me thats a joke ? But i suppose we are old hands at sending rubbish to the eu, they got Phil The Bull Hogan off us too.

Cass · 06-07-2019 12:42pm

Wow.

How has someone not found out that the insurance companies are completely and utterly exaggerating their fraud claim rates. Its not like it would have taken a lot of work. An FOI would have identified the actual number of reported fraud cases.

Worth a listen and judge for yourself if the premiums of €4,000 - €7,000 for young drivers and the increase of 200 - 400% for existing/experienced drivers is warranted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6GyT5cV6jw

Sparks · 06-07-2019 11:45pm

Someone had...
https://twitter.com/Tupp_Ed/status/1131830734258417664

I mean, there's an entire state body for tracking this stuff who print public reports.
But nobody reads them...

Cass · 06-07-2019 11:56pm

Are we so apathetic that we're happy to be screwed or is it a case of we're not happy unless we're being screwed.

Everyone and their Mother will say insurance costs are too high. Its a "known" thing. However like most "known" things it's usually just said without any actual understanding of the facts involved. I'm guilty of this myself. After watching the video and seeing the numbers being broken down and the real numbers its abundantly clear that insurance companies are perpetrating a massive fraud on the people and no one is doing a thing about it. not the people (us) involved nor our elected representatives.

I'm no fan of Sinn Fein, and i applaud Doherty for his work, but its pointless if change does not come about because of it. The Government legislate that we must have insurance, and then do nothing when those companies are lying to continuously increase premiums.

Cass · 07-07-2019 12:02am

Its not just insurance. Reading today an article about the prediction of another recession and the total of Ireland's debt and its both staggering and scary.

FF created the elements for the recession, FG took the reigns with promises of change and ten years on we are €205 BILLION in debt with no way out. FG are borrowing money to pay the interest we "owe", and while interest rates drop our national debt increases. They (FG) then invite vulture funds into the country, bail out the banks to the tune of ten sof Billions and those same Banks won't provide services as they did, they also grant the same banks that were bailed out an amnesty on paying tax for 20 years.

The average debt per person in this country stands at between €35,000 to €42,000 per person. Its one of if not the highest in the world and it was forced on us by the EU.

People are once again either ignorant or apathetic to this.

Grizzly 45 · 07-07-2019 1:55pm

Final sentence of Orwell's "Animal Farm"

"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

It sums up Irelands political and ruling class beautifully... They all know each other,they move in the same circles,same clubs,send their kids to the same schools and universities,screw in the same brothels,drink in the same pubs,and look after each other. Of course you weren't going to let the banks go down in 2008.After all,you will need a 0% loan to finance your next general election campaign?Or to buy that propery out in Spain? Everyone of note in this country has their hands in someone elses pocket,as someone has their hands in theirs,and this will never change.

oldgit1897 · 07-07-2019 3:20pm

Cass wrote: »

Its not just insurance. Reading today an article about the prediction of another recession and the total of Ireland's debt and its both staggering and scary.

FF created the elements for the recession, FG took the reigns with promises of change and ten years on we are €205 BILLION in debt with no way out. FG are borrowing money to pay the interest we "owe", and while interest rates drop our national debt increases. They (FG) then invite vulture funds into the country, bail out the banks to the tune of ten sof Billions and those same Banks won't provide services as they did, they also grant the same banks that were bailed out an amnesty on paying tax for 20 years.

The average debt per person in this country stands at between €35,000 to €42,000 per person. Its one of if not the highest in the world and it was forced on us by the EU.

People are once again either ignorant or apathetic to this.

Do you know what Cass, i would not be surprised if the whole bail-out thing was engineered to make Ireland the first completely vassal state in the EU. The irish used to have a healthy disrespect of institutions like the eu, now we are the biggest sycophants of that organisation.

As for the coming recession, as i said sometime ago, when you see run-down former council houses selling for over 600k, something major is going to pop. It looks like a hard brexit is on the cards, verucca salts is trying to play hardball with the UK, even saying he would not allow British planes to fly over Ireland (which has nothing to do with the EU, but international agreements), if it all backfires and the UK responds in a similar way, we could really be in trouble very quickly.

Also seen that the EU has done a trade agreement with south America, allowing their much cheaper Beef to be sold in Europe, Irish farmers stand to lose 1 billion potentially. The Irish farmer was the biggest supporter of the EU, wonder what will happen now.

oldgit1897 · 07-07-2019 3:28pm

Former German minister of defence (the worst minister ever apparantly, in German history) Ursula von der leyen, is made grand poohbah of the eu. I wonder if it was because she and Merkel are friends ? It cannot be her dazzling tenure as Defence minister in Germany, some German soldiers were reduced to using brooms painted black as stand in rifles, Very Dads army-esque.

She has already said she looks forward to building a great new army for the united states of europe !

https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-biography-career-inconvenient-truth/

Grizzly 45 · 07-07-2019 4:42pm

Ask any German soilder what they think of "Flinten Ushi" [Shotgun Ushi/Ursula] and you wont be getting a polite answer. The 3rd Reich armed forces were in a better condition when they surrenderd in May 1945 than the Bundeswehr,Luftwaffe and Kreigsmarine is today.:mad: At least they still had a functioning U boot fleet and operational tanks,and could still loft a squadron if Me 262s,if they had petrol.:mad:

Going to be a looong time before this EU army will be any sort of reality,and the fun will start when we have to go and develop nukes and some sort of delivery system for them too.I mean,no one will take it seriously,unless it does have a few nukes in store?
This is beyond a farsce when we have La Grade in charge of banking for the EU as well.Making the goat to head gardner springs to mind on this one.:mad:

oldgit1897 · 07-07-2019 6:53pm

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Ask any German soilder what they think of "Flinten Ushi" [Shotgun Ushi/Ursula] and you wont be getting a polite answer. The 3rd Reich armed forces were in a better condition when they surrenderd in May 1945 than the Bundeswehr,Luftwaffe and Kreigsmarine is today.:mad: At least they still had a functioning U boot fleet and operational tanks,and could still loft a squadron if Me 262s,if they had petrol.:mad:

Going to be a looong time before this EU army will be any sort of reality,and the fun will start when we have to go and develop nukes and some sort of delivery system for them too.I mean,no one will take it seriously,unless it does have a few nukes in store?
This is beyond a farsce when we have La Grade in charge of banking for the EU as well.Making the goat to head gardner springs to mind on this one.:mad:

I believe der leyen is extremely unpopular with the Germans as a whole, not just the military. As for the eu having an army, why does a trading block need an army in the first place ? Legarde, was found guilty and should have done a stretch in prison, but was let off because of her position ! Unbelieveable.

Cass · 09-07-2019 12:53am

oldgit1897 wrote: »

Do you know what Cass, i would not be surprised if the whole bail-out thing was engineered to make Ireland the first completely vassal state in the EU.

My own view, however wrong or misguided, is there were two parties involved. The banks loaned out money as if it were going out of fashion and people grabbed it with both hands. So there is fault on both sides.

However the banks were bailed out, the people were not. Banks that were moving money around to cover up fraud, poor lending, over extending, and outright theft were all covered and not just covered but guaranteed by the state. Now the same banks pay no tax, continue to operate but won't lend out money (even to those that can afford it), have been fined for continuing to commit fraud (the fixed rate loans), and will soon have the pay caps removed for the top table.

Add to all that the payment of the bond holders, and the EU/IMF forcing Ireland to pay to get the bailout and we're where we're at (again i'm not well versed on economics so stand to be educated on the finer points).

My point being mistakes were made on our (the people's) end, but boy are we paying for it, and then some. Our unborn grandchildren will be paying this debt.

The irish used to have a healthy disrespect of institutions like the eu, now we are the biggest sycophants of that organisation.

We lost our Sovereignty and identity, and what little remained was handed over by our representatives. The same ones that have stood, unopposed for the most part, for the last 40 years. I can tell you who will win the elections in my area come the next general election. The same three men that have held their positions for over 80 years between the three of them. Why? Because no matter the damage, harm and betrayal they inflict the majority of voters always come back to "I've always voted X, i'm not changing now".

There is no real opposition to FF or FG and until that changes and people wake up and take an interest in how their country (we are a Republic) is being run into the ground it never will.

As for the coming recession, as i said sometime ago, when you see run-down former council houses selling for over 600k

I cannot find the story, or remember the exact figures, but i read a while back that NAMA sold of a block of apartments for €400,000 or so. An "investment" firm bought it, and then sold then units individually for a total of €87 MILLION.

Also seen that the EU has done a trade agreement with south America, allowing their much cheaper Beef to be sold in Europe, Irish farmers stand to lose 1 billion potentially. The Irish farmer was the biggest supporter of the EU, wonder what will happen now.

Our natural gas being sold for a €1, Coilte being sold off to foreign firms, China drilling off the coast of Kerry, America "investment" firms buying up anything that moves, NAMA selling off portfolios that are worth tens of millions for hundreds of thousands, NAMA hiring the men that owned those portfolios to run them then selling them back to the same men they bought it off for a fraction of the original cost, etc, etc.

My Grandfather always said Ireland is a great country, if you could afford to live in it.

yubabill · 09-07-2019 3:11pm

Cass wrote: »

My own view, however wrong or misguided, is there were two parties involved. The banks loaned out money as if it were going out of fashion and people grabbed it with both hands. So there is fault on both sides.

However the banks were bailed out, the people were not. Banks that were moving money around to cover up fraud, poor lending, over extending, and outright theft were all covered and not just covered but guaranteed by the state. Now the same banks pay no tax, continue to operate but won't lend out money (even to those that can afford it), have been fined for continuing to commit fraud (the fixed rate loans), and will soon have the pay caps removed for the top table.

Add to all that the payment of the bond holders, and the EU/IMF forcing Ireland to pay to get the bailout and we're where we're at (again i'm not well versed on economics so stand to be educated on the finer points).

My point being mistakes were made on our (the people's) end, but boy are we paying for it, and then some. Our unborn grandchildren will be paying this debt.

We lost our Sovereignty and identity, and what little remained was handed over by our representatives. The same ones that have stood, unopposed for the most part, for the last 40 years. I can tell you who will win the elections in my area come the next general election. The same three men that have held their positions for over 80 years between the three of them. Why? Because no matter the damage, harm and betrayal they inflict the majority of voters always come back to "I've always voted X, i'm not changing now".

There is no real opposition to FF or FG and until that changes and people wake up and take an interest in how their country (we are a Republic) is being run into the ground it never will.

I cannot find the story, or remember the exact figures, but i read a while back that NAMA sold of a block of apartments for €400,000 or so. An "investment" firm bought it, and then sold then units individually for a total of €87 MILLION.

Our natural gas being sold for a €1, Coilte being sold off to foreign firms, China drilling off the coast of Kerry, America "investment" firms buying up anything that moves, NAMA selling off portfolios that are worth tens of millions for hundreds of thousands, NAMA hiring the men that owned those portfolios to run them then selling them back to the same men they bought it off for a fraction of the original cost, etc, etc.

My Grandfather always said Ireland is a great country, if you could afford to live in it.

Pretty much nail on the head, but the small guy who borrowed lost out for the most part, which is where the iniquity lies.

Deutsche Bank (saving it was the main reason we were forced into the bailout) has just been bailed-out itself, with a ~$50Bn bad bank set up for it a few days ago
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-06/what-s-a-bad-bank-and-how-can-it-help-deutsche-bank-quicktake

However and despite the 18k layoffs, Deutsche still has a notional $43Tn (that's trillion) of derivatives on its books which are really about $500Bn, to be fair (they agree to bet which way the interest will go on a notional amount of money and wager a fraction of said notional amount).

Nobody outside Deutsche knows what the financial implications of these derivatives are for Deutsche, but if it ever goes under it will make Lehman Bros look like a minor event.

Grizzly 45 · 09-07-2019 7:06pm

Shin Fein bandwagon jumping onto the lead shot ban,or something more?

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/new-gun-laws-unworkable-without-farmer-and-owner-dialogue/

oldgit1897 · 11-07-2019 11:33am

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Shin Fein bandwagon jumping onto the lead shot ban,or something more?

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/new-gun-laws-unworkable-without-farmer-and-owner-dialogue/

I thought the marxist sinn'ers did not want guns in private hands ?

oldgit1897 · 11-07-2019 11:40am

Cass wrote: »

We lost our Sovereignty and identity, and what little remained was handed over by our representatives. The same ones that have stood, unopposed for the most part, for the last 40 years. I can tell you who will win the elections in my area come the next general election. The same three men that have held their positions for over 80 years between the three of them. Why? Because no matter the damage, harm and betrayal they inflict the majority of voters always come back to "I've always voted X, i'm not changing now".

There is no real opposition to FF or FG and until that changes and people wake up and take an interest in how their country (we are a Republic) is being run into the ground it never will.

Yes, i seen a video of Eamon Ryan in the dail saying the population of Ireland should be increased to around 10 million, twice what it is now, i wonder who in Europe is pulling his strings to push for that ?

I really don't understand the irish and the way they vote, its just a box ticking exercise, they go and tick the same box everytime, for the same idiot, without ever actually thinking about why they are voting for them.

BattleCorp · 11-07-2019 8:54pm

oldgit1897 wrote: »

Yes, i seen a video of Eamon Ryan in the dail saying the population of Ireland should be increased to around 10 million, twice what it is now, i wonder who in Europe is pulling his strings to push for that ?

I really don't understand the irish and the way they vote, its just a box ticking exercise, they go and tick the same box everytime, for the same idiot, without ever actually thinking about why they are voting for them.

We need the population increase to pay pensions.

Taxpayers pay for everyone's pension. But people are getting older, living longer and therefore living longer while drawing the pension.

That means that there are less and less workers chipping into the pension fund while there are more and more people drawing out of it.

I don't have exact figures but at the moment it's about 5 people of working age for every pensioner. In 2046 it's projected to be a little over 2 people of working age for every pensioner. Source (not very reliable)

https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/pensions/irelands-ticking-pensions-timebomb-34772541.html

That's why we need a population increase. Well, one reason anyway.

Grizzly 45 · 11-07-2019 9:23pm

Ah the "Educated and qualified Syrian engineers and doctors" idea,that Angelica Merkel said would enrich Germanys workforce and culture,and be good working German model citizens munching Bratwurst,swigging beer and driving Mercs and Audis, wotking under the belif that "Work frees you" I]Arbeit macht frei[/Iand paying into the German state pension to look after the elder German pouplation...MYTH! Has bitten hold here as well.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Seeems we HAVE to make the same mistakes that every other western country has made on this topic.:rolleyes:Carry on then...And by 2046 we will definately be a minority in our own country and almost extinct,if already in 2019 the most pouplar Irish birth name is apprently already in Dublin Mohammed.:rolleyes:

oldgit1897 · 11-07-2019 10:15pm

BattleCorp wrote: »

We need the population increase to pay pensions.

Taxpayers pay for everyone's pension. But people are getting older, living longer and therefore living longer while drawing the pension.

That means that there are less and less workers chipping into the pension fund while there are more and more people drawing out of it.

I don't have exact figures but at the moment it's about 5 people of working age for every pensioner. In 2046 it's projected to be a little over 2 people of working age for every pensioner. Source (not very reliable) https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/pensions/irelands-ticking-pensions-timebomb-34772541.html

That's why we need a population increase. Well, one reason anyway.

I think out of the 16 in my class in college, 14 emigrated, could not afford to live here, buy a house or start a family, so pissed off somewhere they could. So we export our own and import replacements ?

How about we get all these American multinationals to pay some tax first ? Rather than allowing them pay 0.00002 % in the Isle of Man (with our so-called government actually assisting them) or something equally stupid. Where are all these people going to live ? Dublin is literally bursting at the seams, places i used to shoot 20 years ago are now covered with literally thousands of shoddily built tacky apartments. I don't trust the old cabal of FF and a load of dodgy builders to solve the problem.

BattleCorp · 11-07-2019 11:03pm

I'm not saying let everyone in by any means.

I'm just saying that we are fcuked in years to come if we don't have an increase in the numbers of people paying tax.

That or increase the pension age to 85.

Grizzly 45 · 11-07-2019 11:24pm

Proably going to have to rethink the whole concept of "work" anyway in the very near future.With more automation and robotoics coming on stream along with 1st gen artifical intelligence,even menial jobs will become a thing of the past.IE with all of the above technology,there wont be a big demand in California for seasonal workers anymore,so it might drop the illegal Mexican alien problem.

But that doesnt mean "respectable" jobs will be safe either. Who needs an accountant/bookeeper anymore when you can file your tax online or do it by computer?Do you need to go to a big marble building anymore ,paying thousands for a degree which you can now do at home in your own time via the internet for the fraction of the price of 3rd level.So long as you get a degree in something worthwhile that is..A degree in Lesbian gender studies of mediveal Ireland womens rights...Proably wont cut it.

Trades will definately make a comeback.The US is crying out for skilled tradesmen at the moment[Thanks Prez Trump!].Once people can get over the idea of Johnny or Mary working with their hands is as dignified as sitting in an office doing a job they proably hate.

So with pouplation increase,more automation,us living longer I wonder why the Hell they want us to live so long?Wouldnt it be better off if we ate,drank or smoked ourselves to death and allowed legal euthensia for those who want it? After all if we are all predicted to live into our high 90s by that point in time,somethings gotta give.

BattleCorp · 11-07-2019 11:29pm

Or when you get too old and feeble to work, you are given a glass of whiskey and a pistol and told to do the decent thing for society.

Then into the composting bin with you. ðŸ˜€

oldgit1897 · 12-07-2019 12:48am

BattleCorp wrote: »

Or when you get too old and feeble to work, you are given a glass of whiskey and a pistol and told to do the decent thing for society.

Then into the composting bin with you. &#55357;&#56832;

"SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE" !

oldgit1897 · 12-07-2019 12:56am

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

So with pouplation increase,more automation,us living longer I wonder why the Hell they want us to live so long?Wouldnt it be better off if we ate,drank or smoked ourselves to death and allowed legal euthensia for those who want it? After all if we are all predicted to live into our high 90s by that point in time,somethings gotta give.

Yeah i don't understand that either, the constant push for us to live longer. I was wandering around Leopardstown care home (built for the Irish injured of ww1, loads of British army stuff around) a couple of years ago, my mother was there recuperating from an operation.

Some of the sights i seen were terrible, one poor old boy in a locked in ward, stuck in a corner shouting a womans name over and over, completely ga-ga. If it were me i'd rather be gone.

Billy Connelly said it, if being a non-drinker, non-smoker, god bothering veggie gave you another 15 years of being 20, you'd jump at it. But another 15 years of being 85 and senile ? No thanks.

Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information

Off Topic Chat. (MOD NOTE post# 3949 and post#5279)

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Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County