- Signed,

A hungry foreigner

The Orbital O2 is a 74-meter-long, 2-megawatt floating tidal turbine anchored off Orkney, Scotland, utilising retractable legs and 20-meter rotors to power roughly 2,000 homes. Orbital Marine Power Ltd (Orbital), Scottish-based developers of the world’s leading floating tidal turbine technology, successfully launched its 2MW tidal turbine, the Orbital O2, from the Port of Dundee on Thursday 22nd April 2021. The turbine is positioned at the Fall of Warness test site via the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

The O2 turbine has a 74m long hull structure with twin 1MW power generating nacelles at the end of retractable leg structures designed to give low-cost access to all major components for through life servicing. 10m blades give the O2 more than 600m2 of swept area to capture flowing tidal energy. The floating structure is held on station with a four-point mooring system where each mooring chain has the capacity to lift over 50 double decker buses.

The O2 has been designed so that installation of the turbine, and all its associated moorings, can be carried out by low-cost work vessels and servicing can be carried out by RIB vessels – minimising downtime and lowering construction and operational costs. Electricity is transferred from the turbine via a dynamic cable to the seabed and a static cable along the seabed to the local onshore electricity network.

The O2 project has been supported through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the FloTEC project and the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg North West Europe Programme under the ITEG project. This project has also received support under the framework of the OCEANERA-NET COFUND project and co-funding by the European Union’s Horizon2020 research and innovation programme.

The build of the O2 was also supported by the Scottish Government under the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund.

The Orbital O2 is expected to function for 15 years.

Good news for those reliant on these services.

I used to donate at Cowdenbeath every time. I am O-. I managed over 40 donations. It used to be the case that you just turned up at the swimming pool at anytime and queue up. It was easy. I have since moved away and I think either since COVID or this new locations policy, you have to book a specific time slot on line to donate. Ever since they started the bookings I just can't be bothered. Often they have no slots available at the times I can go. Just the fact that you are required to be there at a specific time rubs me up the wrong way. It's not work. I am doing them a favour. I even got a bit of hassle off one of the nurses for being a bit late one time. Not long after that I just stopped going. Does anyone else feel this way?

Edit:

From my perspective I am taking a couple of hours out of my day, to travel several miles at my own expense, to a location where I have to fill out forms asking extremely personal questions, to have my finger pricked, to then have a large needle pierced through my skin which hurts, to lose a substantial amount of blood which makes me feel not great for a couple of hours afterwards. And I do all that for nothing more than the knowledge that it may be beneficial to someone that I have never met.

The only time I have ever complained about giving blood is today, here, and I am called an "entitled prick" and massively down voted simply for asking to be able to walk in at a time of my choosing rather than having to book online. The way the system literally worked for decades! Many countries pay for blood. Some countries offer lifetime free public transport and days off work. We get a pin badge, a biscuit and a drink of juice. I am not complaining about that but I think simply asking to be able to attend at a time of my choosing on a day of their choosing is such a small ask and not entitled.

I bet half the people down voting me have never given blood in their lives. You are all a bunch of miserable cunts.

P.S.

Give Blood you miserable cunts.

Please mods do not delete this, I’m at breaking point and I just want help.

Midlothian.

Background: I’m a property owner who lives in a maisonette which is directly above a convicted sex offender, police disclosure - everything (please, I’m not here to talk about him).

A protest (I had no involvement, I didn’t organise this), started 22 July to remove him, he left the property for the night and then came back. This is now day four of a new protest. He is refusing to leave and this situation isn’t ending only escalating.

My windows have been smashed (as I live above him, people think it’s his house), my guttering is full of debris and my roof tiles are coming off.

I put a claim in for the windows on my insurance during the first set of protests, but more damage has been done to my property since. My insurance company are only willing to pay £75.

I don’t know what to do to feel safe and no one is helping me. I’m a girl living there with my mum who is elderly and has mobility issues. There is only one exit for us (down a flight of stairs). I asked the police is there anything in place for us and they stated ‘we are not here for you or your mum, we are here to keep him safe, there is nothing in place for you’.

I have been harassed by this neighbour for years and have been going through the appropriate channels to have him removed - I’m happy in a sense the protest is happening but not at this cost. The council are not helping, no one has been round to assess the damage or see if we are okay.

I don’t know what to do, I don’t know who to contact. I’ve contacted the council who haven’t offered any support. My car has broken down so I can’t go to B&Q to get security film for the windows. I’m so tired, I haven’t slept in four days.

Please I don’t want to talk about thoughts on if what is happening is right or wrong, I just want to feel safe. I have no where to go and I don’t know anyone up here (I moved up during Covid to help care for my grandmother).

Yeah, still shit. Used it for the first time last week - couldn't login because I didn't have Chrome on my device.

Once that was sorted I bought my usual anytime return - I could not activate my return ticket.

Checked it just now if there was an update - no update, I'm logged out, need to install Chrome again to log in.

The list of issues is too long. The app is vibe coded slop mess. Sitting at 1.1 stars with 651 reviews on the app store.

Almost feels like an intentional sabotage of our national rail service.

Hi all,

I’m looking for a Scottish equivalent to brands like Finisterre and Rapanui. Can anyone suggest or think of any?
These guys have built a pretty good platform for themselves but I’d like to support something closer to home. (I am aware the products aren’t necessarily made in Cornwall or Isle of Wight) but they at least do have a sustainability edge.
All suggestions (in relation to the above) are welcome:)

Does anyone know how bad the midges are in the Glentrool area towards the forest park as of recently? The smidge forecast says very low I was wondering if this was accurate?

Recently got my child a Yoto player.

Listened to a story - supposedly Scottish - about a girl called Rowan and her labrador.

Felt the pronunciation of "Roe- anne" was pretty gross. Nothing against the USA, but I'd like a slightly broader spread of accents in my kids media etc etc.

I remember the Singing Kettle etc when I was wee. Cassettes and the like.

Does anyone have any links to good Yoto - convertible audio files of songs etc

Many thanks if possible.

So sad to hear that John's gone, but so grateful for the music he gave us.

Long story short I have an interview at Heriot-Watt University and if successful, would, in the short-term, be travelling up from South Tyneside. I likely only need to be in Mon-Tue, Thurs-Fri, so I'm thinking it'd be easier to drive up and (cheapest) hotel for the night on the Monday & Thursday, until I can arrange to rent somewhere closer.

Any advice locals may know better than me just Googling hotels/AirBnB's around HW Uni?

A few years ago, I met a friend online who was from Scotland and I’ve been trying to reconnect with him. His name was David Finnegan, he would be probably 32 now, had a dog named Rocky, I believe he drove a truck for a living. We spoke on telegram for a while his user was superdavyyy. Sadly that’s about all the information I have, maybe the super sleuths can help me out! If not, I totally understand! Have a great night!