I do mean to get back to the real, doing world soon, but...

David Miliband sets out to shock on global warming tour

When I saw the picture, I thought he was going to come up on delegates and go 'Boo!'

But no.

David Miliband will address EU, French, Swedish and Danish foreign ministries, to date unaware of the spectre of a 4C warmer world, with alligators basking off the coast of Sweden, a vast desert surrounding the Mediterranean and a largely uninhabitable mainland Europe.

That should have them reeling in the isles.

Maybe they will, as they are foreign ministries and this is from the climate side of things, and not all have brothers who know such things.

If not... He then travels to New York.

Bless.

I am sure they will all give Miliband. D a Gold Star for his latest effort. What is itabout the man that everything comes across as an 11+ project?

Addendum 1:

Meanwhile, at another token effort near you, our pols show just how much they have grasped not just the issues, but the public mood:

Brown turns down heat and Mandelson gets on his bike to support 10:10

When the readership of the Guardian is pretty much unanimous in their distain, you have to wonder whether they could tie their shoelaces without falling over.

Read the pledges, and what folk think of them.

Addendum 2:

Just heard the Director General of the Government's climate change task force (a title like that's got to be £150kpa minimum) taken apart by Eammon Homes (not an interviewer of great surgical skill you'd have thought) over some pretty daft claims. And it certainly didn't help his case when he tried to mollify those he seems to have told 'must' cut 90% of their emissions to keep their air industry going, by then saying he and his brood were off several times a year and might knock a couple of their international flights out in future to chip in.

I can see how that might have gone down with both the staycation brigade and those who could only afford a wet weekender in Tenby.

And talk about shifty. You could almost see him trying to scoot off stage left to get to the warm embrace of a BBC studio asap.

Addendum 3:

Live Q&A: David Miliband on the Copenhagen summit

Yes, that is the picture I would have chosen, too. A leader to follow to the ends of the earth, indeed.

Addendum 4:

BBC Newsnight - A stark message from the Milibands on climate change - 'a double act with a certain air of the hastily convened about it' - This from the BBC. They really are throwing the A team at this.

How the heck are we going to inspire coherent action from the majority of the population, when those few 'leaders' we have who do seem to have some inkling that this might be worth addressing (one hopes with the right reasons in mind) are either numpties, crooked, rampant hypocrites or (worst in my book) plainly incapable of a) understanding science (they all seem to have got z's in Politics at Oxford and seem to take verbatim whatever lobbysist - pro or anti climate-cause - who walks in their door as gospel) or b) identifying with the hopes, fears, aspirations and willingness to help of the vast majority of real folk just a tad fed up with being patronised, fined or cheated by a totally out of touch elite.

Times - NEW - Climate change talks ‘in danger’, warns David Miliband - And I quote: Mr Miliband refused to say how much the British Government was willing to contribute to the $100 billion (£61 billion) that Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, said in June should be paid each year by developed countries to poorer nations to help them to cope with climate change.

Washing machine blues

A while ago our dishwasher packed in.

And in getting it going again, I managed to spin out a blog post. I have of course now lost it, but as a consequence of chatting with an engineer at the sharp end, I learned a few things, one of which was cold water washes may save on the water heating, but may not be that great on enviROI due to pipes getting bunged up through hot water not scouring them .

Well, it has happened again, and I am faced with a a similar dilemma on the price, if not principle of insurance.

Tricky. Stuart, the engineer, says it is a good model with loads of life in it, so I am tempted to keep on. But it is really a bet with the actuaries. 3 more years and I could buy a brand new one on the annual fee. Not a Miele, of course, but still...

Anyhoo, a few tips to pass on. All as a result of that rather nasty collection in the picture.

First up, change is very bad. Do try and ensure you do not leave any in. Thanks to the boys we did end up with enough for a pint, but it could have been at major cost. If the coin does not slide to the trap and gets wedged... major.

The other tip is as a result of the main blockage culprit, namely cord ties.

It is well worth putting any garment with flappy bits in a net bag first. Saves the bits being ripped off and the resulting strands starting a healthy bung.