Scrapbook for August 2017

11.08.2017 – Decanting the dregs

Apropos the Grenfell tragedy. By their words shall ye know them:

High-rise buildings in Ledbury Towers, south London, might not be safe.

Stephanie Cryan, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing at Southwark Council, said records suggest the four blocks were strengthened following the Ronan Point incident [in May 1968, 49 years ago]

She said: 'Arup's structural investigations suggest this strengthening may not have occurred, and we have therefore turned off the gas, until further investigations can be done.

'We are doing all we can to provide residents with alternatives while the gas is turned off, and are working up a plan to permanently replace the gas with electric ovens, boilers etc as part of the wider works, should that be necessary.

[...]

The letter sent to residents of the blocks states the council had hoped to allow them to remain in their homes while the work to fix the cracks was carried out.

It added: 'But this new information means we are now planning to temporarily decant the blocks over the coming weeks and months.'

The word 'decant' used in the context of ejecting people from their homes because of the long-term historical failures of their masters is very telling. Who, reading this, would ever say such a thing?

10.08.2017 – That Google diversity thing

A free-market, laissez-faire, right-wing thug writes:

If Google for whatever reasons wants to employ sub-optimal staff chosen according to some sub-optimal formula it is free to do so. If it keeps making money, that's OK. If things go wrong and its earnings go down, it will have to have a rethink. That's also OK.