Saturday 7 February 2015

Bits and Pieces : Something for the Weekend

A Strange Coincidence
Last week, fbb extolled the virtue of the word "traipse"; but, lo and behold, our Northampton correspondent guided fbb to Radio Times and its puzzle page 155. The print version of  the "Only Connect" connecting wall looked like this:-
And there was the word "Traipse"
 

But now, a video to watch:-
It is a scene that is reminiscent of one of the side-splitting moments of comic smash Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, but for the driver and passengers on this Norwich bus it was no laughing matter. Bus bosses said the driver ended up in a fix after reading no access for any vehicles “except buses” on road signs which a City Hall spokesman has confirmed are to be “adjusted to eliminate any ambiguity”.

So it was that one of Fearnley's finest set off down Magdalen Street in Norwich and came face to face with an impenetrable wall of plastic barriers. Austin Powers, eat your heart out!
  

And another one!
But embarrassing videos are like apocryphal buses; you wait for ages and then two come along together. This time it is another set of road works and a rather lumpy mini roundabout at Holts in Odham.  Service 425 runs via Wildmoor Avenue, terminating at the end of the loop.
Buses then do a "U" turn round the roundabout and return to the Centre.
Only this one didn't!
Kerrrunch!

We've Got a Green Capital.
On a more positive note; did you know that the UK now has one of these?

B

The European Commission recognises success in creating green cities with a high quality of life. This prestigious award gives the successful recipient a unique opportunity to further enhance the their reputation for creativity, culture and innovation.

And the European Green Capital for 2015 is ...

Bristol

It was awarded due to Bristol's ability to demonstrate rapid progress, and continuing ambition, across a wide range of quality of life, environmental and green business aspects. 

Or was it just that Bristol filled in a questionnaire and paid the fees? Whatever the "value" of this award, First Bus has just launched its "Green Capital" logo.
Recently appointed First boss James Freeman is seen here, well wrapped up against the icy blasts, with Councillor Mark Bradshaw, assistant mayor.
Bradshaw is also a member of BLASJC**; so three hearty cheers for that positive contribution to Public Transport.

The "Green 2015" logo also appears on the latest batch of Streetlites, also "unveiled".
** For those who have forgotten what the slick and memorable acronym BLASJC stands for, it is the Bus Lane Adjudication Service Joint Committee.

 Next rail blog : Sunday 8th February 

5 comments:

  1. I know it might appear picky but when you link to a Flash video nobody viewing on a tablet or smart phone can watch it as Flash is not supported by Android or IOS.

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  2. I am confused, anon. My Android phone plays all embedded videos (Google Chrome) : all three in the blog above have been "shared" from YouTube. I do, however, have to tell the phone what to use i.e. "Video Player". But it asks me first!

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  3. I'm intrigued by the way the Oldham bus seems to able to reverse with its wheels off the ground.
    Perhaps another contribution to Green-ness - saving tyre wear etc

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  4. Adobe have announced that Flash will not be provided for Linux-based operating systems (which, as far as I understand it, includes Android), but the announcement was made a couple of years ago, and the support ends five years from that date. Effectively, there is now a transitional period, and I have found that the relevant updates for the appropriate OS come a few days after Adobe has updated Flash. I am using Linux on a laptop, so I am not sure if that applies to Android. In the meantime, at least in Firefox, I can select to allow Flash as an exception.

    Ultimately there needs to be a better solution, but the potential replacements for Flash (insofar as Linux is concerned) - Gnash and Lightspark - are not fully developed and comprehensive yet, and setting them up as browser plug-ins is rather complicated, particularly if you want to be able to select Flash as an alternative.

    There is a lot of information about this in the web, but you have to do a lot of sifting of the information to find the appropriate versions and configuration - not dissimilar to looking at a full route timetable on a bus stop, when you just want the times from that stop!!

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    Replies
    1. My android Samsung S5 plays them fine

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