Best Of

WTF ?

Nearly half of sexually active young people in UK have experienced strangulation, study shows
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/18/sexually-active-young-people-uk-choking-strangulation-sex

Not half of young people but a very significant proportion of young women. Women - the word which no-one wants to use in case it makes men feel bad even though its use would be factually accurate.

And what's with the WTF anyway.

If men had listened to what women, including those pesky feminists, have been saying for some time they would know that -
(a) this has been going on for a while
(b) it is largely fuelled by porn
(c) some sex education in schools has emphasised the importance of getting consent before seeking to choke someone during sex, which rather misses the point I feel. There is no safe way of choking someone. It is associated with a range of health risks. A lot of women do not like it but feel they ought to go along with it.
(d) Non-fatal strangulation or choking has been a criminal offence since 2022.
(e) Strangulation is the second most common method of killing women by men.
(f) It has been announced this month that pornography showing strangulation is to become a criminal offence with tech companies placed under an obligation to prevent users accessing such material.

A story that TSE will fully understand

https://www.londoncentric.media/p/london-phone-thieves-prefer-android-iphone-l

Even muggers don’t want Samsung phones

Apple is the best.

Last week I was in London for a few days again, I had my iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB in Cosmic Orange out on public display whilst wearing an expensive watch and I wasn’t mugged, again.

Crazy day in London yesterday. I wasn't mugged. I wasn't subject to Sharia Law. I somehow avoided all the no go areas for white prople. All this despite the absence of protective flags on lampposts. Insane!

Ditto. Trip to Islington and Highgate. Meal out then went to see Dea Matrona at The Garage. I was at Activate at the O2 the previous week and walked to the Southbank for dinner and the week before that I visited my son in Tottenham. Helping him move from Cambridge. Still got my wallet and phone. Shockingly disappointing.

My wife and I celebrated our 50th birthdays on Saturday with a big party in New Cross. We walked home around 3.30am without incident, although one guy in a passing BMW did note the "50" helium balloons I was carrying back from the venue and was inspired to shout "old c*nt" at me. In SE London the c word is largely used with affection, though.

Many happy returns.

I am running in 2026 but with a delayed start to campaigning to get my head into a better place. 2025 has been horrible, hoping for more fun and less grief in 2026.

Anyway, Movember update! I'm up to £707 raised still with 40% or so of the month left. That's a real positive!

Tache is already bristly, and I have more to grow. Might need beard oil or something to try and condition it as this is getting silly already.

Whats next? I am giving myself 2 full weeks fully off over Christmas. Grow a beard maybe...

Good morning

I am so sorry you have had a horrible 2025 and with a couple of members of our family suffered mental health issues I know it is important you do not overcommit and have lots of 'me' time

Hopefully you can enjoy your Christmas holiday and look forward to a much better 2026

Good morning everyone.

Our Tesla correspondent's report rant about the 3p per mile tax for EVs.

Nice objective report on the Telegraph. Essentially "This is from the Telegraph, so half of it may be bollocks."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Fv39zGyAc

No no, it was a rant. And a bit clickbaity. Successfully so.

Provoked the desired response from the kind of people who are reading the Telegraph/Mail and watching GBeebies/TalkTory and are OUTRAGED that Tesco have banned Christmas trees.

I am depressed at the moment. But having good fun calling out performative wazzockry.

Also check out Emergency Podcast where we tore into "British Culture" and I unveiled my war against wazzocks
https://youtu.be/VkvpriRHc8s

Sorry to hear you're feeling shitty - my commiserations.

Trump says that tariff checks will 'probably come in the middle of next year'
The president has doubled down on his promise that the revenue raised from his sweeping tariffs will result in $2,000 checks for American families. “We’re going to be issuing dividends later on, some somewhere prior to probably in the middle of next year,” he said. “We have a lot of money from tariffs. If we didn’t have tariffs, this nation would be in serious trouble.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/nov/17/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-files-republicans-democrats-world-cup-us-politics-live-news-updates

Surely he ought to delay the bribe until after the mid-terms: "Vote Republican to get your $2,000 Tariff Check"?

Ah yes, $2,000 cheques from the government on the eve of an election. Real subtle.

This year, the US fiscal deficit will be 5.9% of GDP, down very slightly from 6.1% last year. (It is worth noting, of course, that the absolute deficit is going to be higher, it just looks slightly less as a percentage of GDP because of the inflation caused by tariffs...)

A roughly 6% budget deficit, in peacetime, when not saddled with a financial crisis or a pandemic, is not a great place to be. It is also somewhat worse than the budget deficit the UK government is currently having kittens over.

Handing out $2,000 cheques to people as some kind of tariff 'bonus' when you can't even balance the books is the kind of thing that would have driven Republicans to apoplexy... when they weren't in government.