Best Of

Russian TV is showing off their army’s new unit of… cavalry!

https://x.com/bohuslavskakate/status/1972755394046132732

Obviously the tank refurbishment factory isn’t working too well any more.

The Russians did have some success with their motorcycle corps - at a rather large cost in human lives.

But going back to mounted cavalry does rather reduce Russia's image as a country filled with high-tech marvels. Perhaps to counteract this, they're claiming their Su-57 wunderwaffe is now in combat near the frontlines. I am unconvinced...

I would doubt whether there remains the skill set required to train horses to the level required for cavalry, even in Russia. I managed to live a full life as an active farmer without being on horseback more than twice in my teens. Yes there used to be teenage girls or was that gals, including my cousin who rode horses every free hour of their lives, but I honestly doubt how much use they would be at training horses for active service.

In the 1940s my dad and his mates were all brought up with horses and not just for ploughing but for leading muck and all sorts. My dad could avoid the kick of a horse however violent, until the day he didn't. His skills were rather more practical than taking a pony to a gymkhana.

The horse aren't there, they would take a five year breeding programme even to get young ones ready to start to train. This is not 1917 when they were importing ship loads of Canadian horses to train on the grounds of grand houses to use on the battlefield. Not even in Russia

However I have no desire to bicker

Not least because I’m here on someone else’s money testing new technology (given me for free) and that’s quite a pleasant task. Chin chin

Vesuvius as a backdrop too 👍

Spotted! I’m having a Falanghina wine at the Egg Castle

About to do a tour of Spacca Napoli in Spanish - to further test the pods. Then it’s home to write my article and a seafood supper to follow

La Dolce Vita, indeed

Get it right, please!

It's Spaccanapoli - one word. And Castel dell'Ovo.

If you have time, get yourself to Gay Odin (https://gay-odin.it/) and buy some of this - https://gay-odin.it/foresta/cioccolato-foresta-nera-fondente.html - for me. I'm in London in December. You will make me very happy!

If you're very nice to me I'll even show you where Palazzo Cyclefree is.

I’ve been out. I presume various posters have apologised over their false assumptions about the Banbury gang rape case? https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/25501324.suspects-ethnicity-released-banbury-gang-rape/

Just a big reminder for all the tribally political men on this site...
'A woman aged in her 30s was attacked by a group of men at the churchyard of St Mary's Church in Banbury during the early hours of Sunday morning, September 28.'

Again, would you please give your heads a wobble on this site and remember that there is a yet another female victim here who suffered a horrendous sexual assault regardless of the make up of her attackers!! I just dispair of the way the actual female victims and their ordeals have been discarded and ignored on sites like this or on other social media sites while the focus becomes about a point scoring debate over the man/men who carried out the attack!!!

Morning. This was an *awful* story. The reason a question was being asked about the attackers is critical though to how we as a society are dealing with this.

The threat against women are men. Almost entirely white men. So when the plastic patriots bang on about muslim grooming gangs and only muslim grooming gangs, they show that they aren't interested in protecting women and girls at all. Worse, we had a grooming gang survivor trying to give testimony at one of these rallies, she says "my attackers were white" and has the microphone snatched away and is pushed off the stage.

This is why ethnicity is important, now. A group of angry white men want to make out women and girls would be safe if all the brown people go away. Hoping that you don't know that whitey is the perp to leave them to it.

Fun fact - go look up how many members of the far right are convicted paedophiles. And then how many members of the Raise the Colours thing are convicted wife beaters...

I have arrived in Naples, Italy, after my arduous flight from Gatwick. I’m settled in a glamorous apartment in the Quattro Spagnoli, the old romantic Spanish quarters where Vespas fizz over the cobbles and the laundry hangs like flags of endless Italian surrender

I’ve got my AirPods3 in their shiny new pod. I’m ready to do my grand even futuristic experiment: do they really work as Babelfish? Does the translate function truly allow you to move smoothly through foreign languages, understanding everything, instantly?

Only problem: I’ve just discovered that Apple doesn’t offer instant Italian translation, yet. And you aren’t allowed to use these things in the EU, by law, so you can’t download the software

Situation excellent: avanti!

Should have invited my granddaughter along, as she is fluent in Italian and spent a year at Turin University !!!!

You're a trusting chap, Big G.

I have arrived in Naples, Italy, after my arduous flight from Gatwick. I’m settled in a glamorous apartment in the Quattro Spagnoli, the old romantic Spanish quarters where Vespas fizz over the cobbles and the laundry hangs like flags of endless Italian surrender

I’ve got my AirPods3 in their shiny new pod. I’m ready to do my grand even futuristic experiment: do they really work as Babelfish? Does the translate function truly allow you to move smoothly through foreign languages, understanding everything, instantly?

Only problem: I’ve just discovered that Apple doesn’t offer instant Italian translation, yet. And you aren’t allowed to use these things in the EU, by law, so you can’t download the software

Situation excellent: avanti!

I don't believe you can use third party translation apps either.

I don’t know if it’s the EU law actually blocking my download or not - I do know these Babelfish AirPods aren’t legally functional in the EU (yes, they’re a Brexit benefit)

Anyway I just used a vpn routed via the UK and it’s worked. Just tested them now. It actually works

Now I’m heading out into Naples, Italy, to find people who speak Spanish, German or French

Obviously the Union of European Translators did enough lobbying against Big Nasty American Technology, on one of their monthly trips between Brussels and Strasbourg.

This is becoming a real issue for the EU. It is regulating new tech into oblivion, guaranteeing the EU falls critically behind at a crucial stage. Like a government outlawing steam power in 1836

No doubt Labour is desperate for Britain to copy Brussels


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/09/25/apple-warns-europeans-may-not-get-new-gadgets-because-of-br/

It's the first absolute clear-as-day Brexit bonus: our AI regulation can be different to EU's precautionary principle stuff.

Good morning everyone.

Can I pick up one thought from HYUFD's post FPT:

Thanks also for the kind messages and prayers sent to me and my wife after the birth of our stillborn son a few days ago. To update we have been able to hold him, read to him, write a card of our love for him and have a few days with him at least. The hospital chaplain also gave him a blessing. We named him Theo.

That sounds as though the hospital are on the ball, and have thinking about you as part of their practice - which is good.

But how do we mourn adults known to us who die? I see a reticence about that, sometimes - though things have changed significantly over say 3-4 decades.

(When my mum died in hospital in 2019, I went and spent some time with her body - saying goodbye, starting to put my memories in order and put her in the pas, and so on.)

@HYUFD I have been thinking of you on & off since hearing your very sad news. Wishing you & your wife the best at this most difficult time.

My wife still occasionally talks about the way a stillbirth affected her mother - grief can be very hard & can strike at the most unexpected moments. I hope you both have people you feel able to talk to whilst supporting each other.