Friday, Jul. 21, 2017 - 23:14

Work wasn't as bad as I feared it might be - not sure whether it was the slightly lower number of phone calls and e-mails (maybe customers had the day off 'cause it was the last day of their kids' school year?) or being in a more laissez faire mood myself. It micturated it's way down all day too, super lish poopy bum. I left a bit early but not massively. I had to stand a bit on the train - I downloaded a cricket game for my phone, it's been going well.

Torrefaction of biomass, e.g., wood or grain, is a mild form of pyrolysis at temperatures typically between 200 and 320°C. Torrefaction changes biomass properties to provide a much better fuel quality for combustion and gasification applications. Torrefaction leads to a dry product with no biological activity like rotting. Torrefaction combined with densification leads to a very energy-dense fuel carrier of 20 to 21 GJ/ton lower heating value (LHV). Torrefaction makes the material undergo Maillard reactions.

I'm reading 'Storm Front' by John Sandford at the moment, which is proving readable and the like, but I'm a bit kept distanced from it. American wise-ass, a focus on Israeli archaeology and history which I don't partic give a fuck about, it's perfectly decent but isn't likely to rise above three out of five unless it does something special in the secind half of it. My neighbours have had loud music on all evening, fucking cunts.

Have two or three things I want to get done this weekend. Setting my ol' iPhone up as an iPod touch just for music on the way to/from work, packing and sending my nephew's birthday gift, attempting to fix my bed (may need some gaffer tape for that), plus all the usual weekend shit like laundry and tidying my fucking flat. Might go to Wem, but only if the weather improves.

Pudsey the performing dog who won 'Britain's Got Talent' (now, if the programme was efficient, they wouldn't need to run it every year because the pool of talent doesn't change that much each year, and they'd have detected all the worthwhile shit already and freed up the schedule for something decent) has died. Or wasn't the scandal that there were two dogs? Or was that a different performing dog trick on the show? Anyhow, I don't give a fucking shit.

Umm Birka is a settlement in the Al Khor municipality in Qatar. It is one of five sites for the government-sponsored project to develop reservoirs in the country. The reservoirs (due to be completed later this year) are expected to be the largest in the world in their category. The main industry of the city of Al Khor is fishing.

Happy birthday to Cara Dillon, and to Ravinda Pushpakumara. I had a bit of a blow-out this evening, but in a fairly restrained manner in that I kept within the theme of my healthy eating (I had two nice salads - one Caesar, one pasta/pesto/pinenut - and a lish yoghurt) and also within the 1850 calorie limit I am sticking to. I might treat myself to a cup of tea and a cereal bar in a bit, 'off the record'.

Or maybe I can't be arsed, maybe it'd just be better to go to bed as I'm a little fatigued. She's got it. I'm your penis. I'm your pyre. Pure Des'ree (eating toast with a ghost, halfway up a lamppost). Ah, life.

[UWEC] Sweden 2-0 Russia. A very confident display by the ladies in yellow/blue, dominating most of the stats and making sure their sturdy nil-nil draw with Die Nationalelf wasn't a waste. Lotte Schelin opened the score midway through the first with a lovely headed opener after the keeper jumped under the ball misjudgementwise, and Sweden could've added to their lead by the break (but didn't). Russia were disappointing after their potentially important win over Italy, and fell further behind in the second half when a poor clearance by the Soviet (can we call them Soviet any more? I don't suppose we can) keeper fell to Blackstenius, who ran on goal, squeezed it past the advancing keeper, before seeing defender Kozhnikova attempt to clear from under the bar, but only turn it home off her own post. The Russians had a couple of chances to get back in the game, but failed to make them count, and towards the end it was a balance for Sweden between seeing the game out, and adding to their lead. They did the former but not the latter.

[UWEC] Italy 1-2 Germany. A good quality first half, Italy the more cautious but countering well on occasion. Their game-plan was going well for twenty minutes till a free kick into the box was called for by the keeper, but she let the ball slip through her hands as she leapt, and defender Henning headed home. Poor (and beautiful) Laura Giuliani, but she did make two or three good saves a little later in the half. Dabritz hit the post, but Italy hit the net on the counter, a lovely near-post finish by Mauro from a cross - though she later turned an ankle and had to be subbed. In the second half, Mandy Islacker saw a shot hit the bar. Midpoint of the second half, Germany having more of the ball in the second half, Mittag thew herself to the ground with the smallest touch from the keeper, Babette Peter converted from the spot. Bartoli picked up a second yellow card and was sent off, the Italians frustrated and losing their discipline. Schultz saved well from a whipped near post free kick, Italy had chances to equalise, but they lose and become the first team definitely eliminated.