NET COMMUNICATIONS-THE JUDGEMENT OF SOLOMON.... IRAN AND CHINA INTERESTED

It didn't take long for Iran and China to comment on our home-grown scenes of destruction. Iran, (mischievously) suggested that David Cameron should be reported to the United Nations for, I can only presume, supporting physical criminal acts committed by the police against 'protesters' and further, also human rights violations. It's the old chestnut of a revolutionary or terrorist is someone else's freedom fighter. Anyone would be hard pushed to describe what happened as either of those. It cannot be said that what occurred in some of the English cities was anywhere in that league. Perceptions are interesting, as is how they are reported. 

The apparent role of social networking in the recent rioting, arson, thieving and looting, has ratcheted up, by several notches, the debate about controlling this specific element of the internet, to the point, where, closing down social networking sites, or, perhaps, blocking the ability to access the internet, has been openly suggested. China perceives double standards and sees a [re-trained] future ally in controlling the freedom of the internet. It reduces by one the number of Western democratic political critics of China's totalitarian methods and its imposition at will, of the isolation of its country from the global internet. 

The closing down of cell phone networks has already occurred, following the bombing atrocities in London about five years ago, and with good reasons. The Madrid bombs were set off by cell phones. I could not phone mobile-to-mobile to find out how a relative was, who travelled daily in to central London using at least one of the underground lines affected. 

It is not beyond the realms of reality to believe that security services together with police are going to be involved in setting up emergency procedures which will contain instructions not just about shutting down cell phone networks - this would neutralise Blackberry encrypted messaging - there would also be operating codes of conduct with social networking sites - coded language for possibly, temporarily, (UK wide) switching them off - in case of any future civil unrest. This is a murky area full of pitfalls. Does the scenario make China's moral stance a smidgin more familiar? 

The dangers in closing down messaging networks also works against the innocent people caught up in situations who need help and have no other means of calling for help than a cell phone to do so. Someone or some group will have to make the judgement of Solomon.

WHAT VOLCANIC ASH DOES

The volcanic ash from Grimsvoten, Iceland, that descended on us, is sticking like a limpet to any surface it has landed on. This morning, I spent time rinsing the car, it was absolutely no use. That stuff does not come off with water alone. No wonder rain was not much assistance. The car windows and the windscreen were in need of special attention.

The volanic ash is abrasive: I have no desire to etch the car windows with doodles from attempted cleaning. 

The car roof was equally as resistant to the clearing of volcanic ash: I lifted a layer of ash with a soft tissue napkin. Where it lifted, another skimming of ash has descended. Everywhere else, the dust has increased in density.

The car windscreen responded to a soft tissue napkin quite well, till the next ash coating formed. If this is what I am finding, likewise my neighbours, I can only think that an aircraft would be subject to a greater deluge of the stuff. There had better be an international inspection of remote flying controls. On board visibility could become severely restricted. 

O'Leary, (of Ryan Air) ex-sidekick, Walsh, has had an aircraft flying on behalf of British Airways and Iberia. We do not know what type of aircraft, or any other essential data about the flight. After giving out a load of science-speak, which he knows the majority of journalists and media groups would not be able to question knowledgeably, nor would a large proportion of the general public, we are left with less understanding than before. We do know that there are gaps in Walsh's report as it stands and that there are vested financial interests to keep going at any cost. What we do not know, because we are not scientific specialists, is what all those gaps in the report are. It should not be forgotten that the UK sits in a small space by comparison to other continents, and there are fewer ways to get round any ash clouds.

As this is the second eruption in a year to affect Northern Europe, one useful aspect of all the posturing, is that research into the affects of volcanic ash is now being given a higher profile. 

Air space in Northern Germany has been affected today, planes in the area affected are grounded. No-one is doing this for perverse fun. Thank heavens, I say, for a far-reaching aviation safety inspectorate. 

If it's good enough for the American President to re-arrange his travel itinerary around the volcanic ash cloud, it is certainly appropriate for everyone else to have to do the same.

I trust to my eyes and in addition my throat. I can see and feel what the ash is doing. In simple every day language, the volcanic ash sticks and is very difficult to remove without abrading the surfaces it sticks to. That says quite a bit in my book.

The silver lining in the ash cloud is that it should provide a boost to agricultural and small growers by improving their soil no end.