The difference between Londoners and New Yorkers

skivenov

I was talking to a friend of mine who emigrated to a bit of Georgia on what's also known as "Tornado Alley".

His words were "call that a storm"

Loughton_Monkey

MacMickster wrote: »

I hope that you're wrong, or else The White Horse frothing about losing his child benefit is likely to be responsible for a Tsunami that will wipe out the lefty, public-sector, benefit-claiming scum the world over.

A sort of 'selective' Tsunami? Well that's a novel idea...

White Horse sneezes, and all the 'leftie scum' perish.

Hamish farts, and all the bears perish.

G_D jumps up and down with glee because the Guardian does another article claiming house prices will halve, and anyone with any intelligence perishes.

Phew.... We're doomed. All depends who sneezes, farts, or jumps up and down first, really.

zagubov

skivenov wrote: »

I was talking to a friend of mine who emigrated to a bit of Georgia on what's also known as "Tornado Alley".

His words were "call that a storm"

Visited Germantown in Pennsylvania and we were struck by a tornado. The area was big sandstone buildings like Victorian architecture and we were indoors so weren't bothered at ll. Outside though trees coming down and afterwards fire brigade everywhere.

Greenst

zagubov wrote: »

Visited Germantown in Pennsylvania and we were struck by a tornado. The area was big sandstone buildings like Victorian architecture and we were indoors so weren't bothered at ll. Outside though trees coming down and afterwards fire brigade everywhere.

Why does the US seem to build their houses from match sticks?

Sandy came and said "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down"
But left the brick ones standing!

Generali

Greenst wrote: »

Why does the US seem to build their houses from match sticks?

Sandy came and said "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down"
But left the brick ones standing!

Because a house that's going to outlast the owner has been over engineered! Why would anyone want to build a house designed to last for 150 years? It's crazy.

Loughton_Monkey

Greenst wrote: »

Why does the US seem to build their houses from match sticks?

Apparently it goes back a long way to when they were still developing, and looking to UK to help with their technology.

Several large British Manufacturers went over there. American signwriters were engaged to help, and were doing a large sign for "Accles & Pollock". When they put it up, they had one "B", but no "P". Obviously, they could not use the "P", so they phoned the depot for instructions.

The depot told them "You're Fired".

"Why?" they asked.

"Do you remember the job you did for the London Brick Company?

POPPYOSCAR

One thing that had me puzzled.

You know an almighty storm is on the way but you leave your car parked underneath a massive tree.

zagubov

Greenst wrote: »

Why does the US seem to build their houses from match sticks?

Sandy came and said "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down"
But left the brick ones standing!

They use timber as its good insulation and cheap for enclosing a large volume. I sued to work in a brickworks in Scotland but evn I noticed that brick houses aren't even that common there. All the hoiuses that are worth anything are sandstone or granite. It alldepends how avaialble clay is and I'd imagine in the US it was easier to find obgtaon and build with wood..

I gather China has a shorttage of historic buiildings as they used to build mainly with wood as well.

Loughton_Monkey

zagubov wrote: »

...I sued to work in a brickworks in Scotland but evn I noticed that brick houses aren't even that common there.....

.. don't they still use wattle and daub up there?

ChiefGrasscutter

grizzly1911 wrote: »

I thought one of the reasons power was transmitted via pylons was to do with heat dissipation, not just cost?

Correct.
Heat dissipation and electrical effects from the presence of the cable insulation make underground lines very expensive at the higher voltages used for major transmission of power.
They also need special ground preparation/backfill next to the cable and substantial wayleaves/freeways on either side of the actual cable line.

(None of this is an issue at low voltage local distribution via underground to individual houses).

Very long transmission lines of all types additionally have all sorts of peculiar characteristics as the physical lines become a "electrical component" in themselves and not merely a piece of copper which simply transmits a set amount of electrical power.
The Russians & Canadians are the experts in this field having transmission lines 1000+ of km long.