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The Glass Box for Thursday

Comments

1. At 05:05 PM on 13 Sep 2007, m wrote:

   Is Gordon Brown co-opting Margaret Thatcher as an advisor on how to get Conservative votes? He's gone to the right person. DC clearly hasn't a clue.

2. At 05:16 PM on 13 Sep 2007, david warhurst wrote:

   With respect to the latest foot & mouth outbreak.
   Has Defra considered the possible existence of feral pigs in the area as a source of infection?

3. At 05:25 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Robin wrote:

   Can you stop repeating David Cameron's view that farmers are worried about whether the ban was lifted early as though this were fact. David Cameron is barking if he thinks that farmers would be happier if they still had a national standstill 6 weeks on, with the prospect of another month at least. This would have killed the inductry. Debbie Reynolds is exactly right, that absence of cases is the deciding factor, and whilst the new outbreak is devastating, at least we farmers have had a small window to get stock moving. What farmers are furious about is that this goverment allowee the escape in the first place, but refuses to pay any compensation or give any financial relief for all of us who are affected but have not had animals killed. eron are barking if you think that

4. At 05:27 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Anne Amison wrote:

   When I was a child, my mum threatened me with all sorts of scary punishments if I wasn't good: I bet Gordon's made sure the Brown children always put their toys back in the box after today!

5. At 05:29 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

   Debbie Reynolds (?) on the programme keeps talking about 'the evidence' about Foot and Mouth, and I am wondering.

   If I am not wrong, one animal has been found to have foot-and-mouth disease. Several hundred are going to be killed immediately, and maybe thousands or tens of thousands to follow.

   Please, why?

   What evidence is there that any of these condemned animals have the disease, or that any of them are going to get it?

   How long is the incubation period for F&M? We are told that it took less than a month for the risk of incubation to have been discounted, since the last 'outbreak' (one cow is an outbreak).

   Would it not be possible to *isolate* animals without killing them? Isolation is put forward as a way to prevent F&M from spreading: if it hasn't spread, then the same isolation ought to work in the same way to keep it away from most farms.

   If it then does break out in a herd, yes, they must be killed, but where is the evidence that it will?

   The cost in compensation, after all, would be the same for the *dead* animals at the end of the outbreak; but no compensation would have to be paid for the animals that didn't after all have to be killed, so there would be a saving of cash if nothing else. Likewise, there would be a lot of worry until one's herd was declared free of risk, but ultimately less heartbreak for those whose animals are now going to be killed *possibly to no purpose*.

   It's that last point that worries me. I don't much like killing if it can't be conclusively shown to be necessary. (Calling it 'culling' doesn't alter the corpse that is left at the end.)

6. At 05:30 PM on 13 Sep 2007, gobsmacked of gorton wrote:

   So much for Downing St security. Isn't it a bit early for Trick or Treat? Conviction politician... You mean like Nixon?

7. At 05:40 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Paul Goetzee wrote:

   Can somebody please tell me why vaccination is not an option to prevent Foot and Mouth disease instead of the grotesquely medieval spectacle of animal culling? I believe it's something to do with selling our beef abroad, but no one seems to mention it anymore. It seems ludicrous to me among the claims for compensation and a government being very defensive about 'scientific' procedures, that we don't implement a scientific approach pioneered in the eighteenth century.

8. At 05:48 PM on 13 Sep 2007, wrote:

   New school in Peterborough: I wonder if they'll teach them to cross the road ...

   Sid
   

9. At 05:48 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Geoff Saunders wrote:

   We heard from a pig farmer. Can we hear from a wheat farmer?

10. At 05:49 PM on 13 Sep 2007, David Bunce wrote:

    Is it not a sign of the times that we only value "learning" based on the results only rather than also valuing how much a child progresses personally - this includes time playing with others

11. At 05:55 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Chrismr wrote:

    "To turn 2000 pupils loose for the toilets at 11am is ridiculous" Funny because it seemed to work ok in my school - total roll 1,800 - 20 years ago. Admittedly we were split over 2 sites, but on the other hand the 'facilities' dated from the 1930s to the 1950s...

12. At 05:59 PM on 13 Sep 2007, wrote:

    2,000 pupils arriving and leaving at the same time for school.

    What genius thought THAT was a sensible idea?

    Fifi

13. At 06:03 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Simon Morris wrote:

    I thought the interview with Monica Grady on astronauts versus robots was very unbalanced. Due to running out of time, we only got the pro astronaut spin, with essentially no probing questions about the costs or benefits. As someone who came close to signing up for the US astronaut programme, I would still have like to hear Monica be asked to justify some of the more extravagent claims which went unchallenged. Why would we need a base on the moon to search for extra-solar planets - woudn't it be better done from earth orbit? Why would one want to send an astronaut to an asteroid and possibly consign them to an early death from cancer?

14. At 06:10 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Markham wrote:

    Well "Steady Eddie" you outdid yourself tonight by asking the same question in half a dozen different ways about the Foot & Mouth exclusion zones.

    Don't you listen to your competitors?

    Samira Whodoyoucall her made an absolute fool of herself on Channel4 News at Noon when she asked a NFU representitive if he thought the government had "got it wrong" to be told in no uncertain terms that the farming community were in complete agreement with the governments actions. She then turns to the channels "Science Correspondent" asking him to speculate. He looked peeved and went through exactly the same points as the NFU representitive.

    Do you use autocues on Radio as well? How often do you expect the expert to repeat the message? A very poor interview. Was he incapable of understanding what Ms Reynolds said the first time?

15. At 06:13 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Rachel G wrote:

    Chris (5): I guess it is a belt and braces thing. If this disease is really so infectious that it could have been transmitted on the wheels of a truck that had driven through infected ground water, there is surely a risk in a wait and see policy with potentially infected herds. It is a waste to kill the animals, of course, but better to kill several hundred unneccesarily and eliminate the disease than have it spread from farm to farm until we have a national outbreak again.

16. At 08:05 PM on 13 Sep 2007, Felis Catus wrote:

    I suppose Margaret Thatcher could be asked to advise on child nutrician given her previous nick-name 'Thatcher the Snatcher. Or maybe, advisor on community cohesion. What was her mantra "there's no such thing as society". Or was she simply invited to tea.

    None of it makes sense to me.

17. At 09:07 PM on 13 Sep 2007, gobsmacked of gorton wrote:

    Felis (16) It's ok, it's all a bad dream. There's no such thing as Margaret Thatcher.

    Any more.

    I mean...

    ...she couldn't

    ...COULD SHE ???

    Dum dum dum dum ticky ticky (Eastenders drums)

18. At 09:24 PM on 13 Sep 2007, John wrote:

    I agree with Markham that hectoring the vet was not great journalism. Vet: our process is to use the science as we know it. We have only had 24 hours, perhaps later more information will come in. Eddie: I want to ignore that answer, there's a new case of f&m, you can't use that process again.

    If the vet can't use her science, what is she to use - palm reading? Or maybe a panel of minor celebs.

    This is from the same science-free team which read out two letters about the discredited autism-MMR hoopla a couple of weeks ago.

19. At 12:19 AM on 14 Sep 2007, Deepthought (John W) wrote:

    On my way to and from Heathrow this evening (different routes) I twice came across roadside notices saying that this was a F&M survalence zone (not one saying I was leaving it). One on the A30? Who will stop for that?!!

    Since the latest outbreak has all the appearances of being related to the previous ones, it say lots about the F&M precautions. So Scotland's animals are stuck because Defra and Reynolds' service cannot check the *sheep* in the area to see if they are carrying the infection, to spread it on (sheep don't show many obvious symptoms), and now we have another outbreak. There are plenty of sheep in the area, often used to graze the banks of the reservoirs around here. Why were they not checked? This is not rocket science.

20. At 08:17 AM on 14 Sep 2007, Brian V Peck wrote:

    What a wonderful sight Mother & son on the steps of No 10...or should that be - Gordon being adviced again about BSE. Well according to some guy called Peck she was born on a Planet called 'All Mad Cows are Free' on another Galaxy..(Walking on the Moon)...

    Brian

21. At 12:32 PM on 14 Sep 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    I think your reporters should be encouraged not to use the term 'kil-OM-eter' unless they are also prepared to use 'cen-TIM-eter' and 'mill-IM-eter'. There is nothing in common between the word kilometre and the words parameter, perimeter, barometer, etc etc.

    Many at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ use the US pronunciation, where the spelling has the -meter suffix instead of -metre, and where the metric system is not particularly in use. Am I irrational to be bothered by this?

22. At 12:51 PM on 14 Sep 2007, wrote:

    1) Cheer up, it could have been worse. It could have been Blair whom he invited to tea yesterday.

    
    2) Those who understand the BoE's policy towards the financial crisis might be able to help us with the following.

    a. King declares that markets are underpricing risk. Which surely means too that they are paying too much attention to the upper ends of firms' projected profit ranges.
    They'e seeing the bonanzas as too likely.

    Which means that they are valuing the shares of such frims too highly.

    Which means that the FTSE is over valued.

    So isn't the Bank pleased with today's (lunch time)falls?

    I think we should ask.

    b. Since the profitability of firms is being over estimated (good times seen as more likely than they are) and so the FTSE is too high (isn't this where we came in?) hadn't we better make d'mned sure that firms don't try to force doown wages to make their over inflated stocks and profit estimates look reasonable.
    It all has the smack of Enron about it. Lets hope Trade Unions can keep wages up.

    c. The Governor says he will only help cases which are exceptional and short term.

    But since the whole system is accused of over opitmism which case exactly ISNT exceptional?

    And does 'short term' simply mean 'the BoE will bail you out soon'?

    d. Isn't a fair summary of the position according to King that the whole financial system (both specialists and in house) have been inflating the value of their assets.
    In fact, pricing them as high as they thought they could get away with.

    This IS where we came in you know!!!

23. At 08:53 PM on 14 Sep 2007, richard fried wrote:

    Re the foot and mouth, has any one noted that there are large areas of woodland throughout the infected area which maintain a considerable population of deer. I visit plant nurseries in Ottershaw [which i believe ajoins one of the vet labs farms] Chobham Lightwater and Bagshot and have seen deer or clear evidence of their presence in all these places. i think Bambi is a more likely suspect than Bin Ladin [as hinted by some 'expert' on the today program this morning].