Yet there are plenty of accounts of it dating back to Victorian times and in very rural locations. A power generator?!
It is peculiar, and intriguing. I suspect it is a mix of all these things, an infrasonic sound of *some* kind - could be organic OR mechanical, which then kicks off our evolved dread of these sounds, inducing feelings of unease, even panic
I have a friend who is being driven to distraction by a very low, loud noise at night. She lives in Islington, and it started about a year ago. Her partner can't hear it, but she is finding it so intrusive that she cannot sleep. She's a very level-headed woman, not given to imagining things or believing fantasies. There is a hospital quite near, which she suspects might be the source of the noise (some air-conditioning or other equipment, perhaps), but she hasn't been able to pin it down. Another theory is that it is something to do with the tube line, which runs not far away. It started quite suddenly, which does suggest that it is some piece of equipment that wasn't installed previously.
Fascinating, it really does seem this is quite common, but untalked-of. People scared of being seen as a bit barmy?
Sympathies to your friend. From the FT article it clearly does drive people up the wall. Another point of interest made in that piece: once you become aware of it, then it doesn't go away. But you can apparently live in blissful ignorance until that anti-epiphany
Something similar-ish happened to me, during Lockdown 1, when, for the first time - in those silenced streets - I realised just how loud some moped and motorbikes have become, due to doctored exhausts (a debate we had on PB the other day). Now I cannot UNhear them, and the rasping crackle of them revving at the lights makes me murderous
Luckily I don't hear it that often. But I can share your friend's angst
One of the issues with persistent noises that only some can here is how much is actually a physical noise, and how much is tinnitus. We have incredibly good ways to measure sound, and in almost all cases there is no sound to measure (cases like the Bristol hum etc). How the brain interprets signals is very complex, and it can easily be decieved - as any good optical illusion will show. Other 'sonic' issues are murky. Havana syndrome may well be entirely imaginary, and certainly not as the result of underhand enemy agents with special illness inducing sounds. Certainly there are correlations to mass hysterical illness in school children. I'd also throw into the mix some of the hysteria about spiking (drinks and using needles). The ability to actually inject someone in a nightclub with an agent that will make them pass out etc is not likely to be widespread. I have no doubt that drink spiking is common, but also that sometimes people have too much to drink without realising. Atual needle spiking I would expect to be vanishingly rare, and it also recapitulates other historical scare stories about people being injected by unknown assailants in the street. (See Fortean Times back catalogue for MANY examples of the above).
One last thing - peoples hearing is different. My wife's is better than mine - she hears the phone from upstairs and I do not. Thats good for me - I get to stay in bed...
That article sums up both what I love and hate about UnHerd.
It's a generally good analysis, that is well written, and well argued, but also contains this utter horse-shit:
As with Trump, Johnson’s political foes, the liberal establishment he had betrayed, stymied his rule with all the stunts and tricks liberalism deploys to arrest democracy, here directly imported from the imperial metropole: the fictitious parallel institutions of liberal shadow governance such as Independent Sage, the same pointless, time-consuming lawfare of Twitter barristers calling themselves defenders of the rule of law, the same mass demonstrations of fevered identity warriors stoked by the opposition press for narrow political gain. No scandal was too petty, no wild accusation of fascism or dictatorial tendencies too overblown in the liberal para-state’s mission to save democracy from the voters.
As if Independent Sage had any role in anything, or is part of some organised conspiracy. Independent Sage was a joke: but it was a joke that went out and published forecasts, and they were wrong. And it wasn't part of any "para-state", it was simply the fact that the person with the most outlandish views is the most newsworthy.
This throwing together of a bunch of disparate people, with nothing in common and no connection to each other, as if it were part of some global conspiracy is so absurd as to be barely believeable.
Does the author really believe that the members of iSage were in cahoots with the identity warriors of BLM? Ridiculous and absurd.
But what's worse is that this horse-shit distracts and devalues what is basically good analysis.
Rant over.
I disagree
In passing themselves off as a quasi-government institution, drawing on the brand name (and undermining them with the implication that they were not independent) they were trying to aggregate - successfully - authority they didn’t deserve.
This had the net impact of weakening the ability of the government to get its message out. The media played along with it because they liked a story but that doesn’t let iSage off the hook
I don't think we should overthink this. Academics/Scientists can be rather precious with some huge egos. The more senior they become, the more they buy into their own hype (the ones so inclined, that is). I can easily see a scenario where a bunch of people with a particular mindset coming together, thinking they're right about the course of the Pandemic and forming iSAGE to promote that (perhaps, deep down, for some of them, because they weren't on SAGE). Essentially, iSAGE was just a public taste of University politics.
I don't think it was about passing themselves off a semi-governmental organisation, just standard self-aggrandisement with a dash of 'I know more than these other idiots'.
It’s the passing off with the branding that is designed to cause confusion
Yes, there is no other explanation for that than an intention to mislead. Deeply irresponsible.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
I think it's Colchester.
Colchester is Labour's 104th target seat at the next general election. If the Tories lose Colchester in May to Labour and the LDs, then you could say that Starmer is clearly on for most seats at the next general election. The Conservatives currently have 12 more councillors in Colchester than Labour and run it with Independents
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
We asked a sample of MPs the same simple probability question we asked them ten years ago - if you toss a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?
This time round, around half of respondents (52%) gave the correct answer of 25%
This is a likely improvement from when we polled MPs in 2011, when 40% of respondents gave the correct answer.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine
He won't.
Not unless Johnson and Truss keep poking the bear enough to get what they want: an invasion.
Nothing would suit Boris Johnson better than for Russia to invade.
Rubbish. There's no evidence that anyone in the UK government is in favour of that. This is conspiracy-theory level hogwash.
This whole Russia vs Ukraine issue has been very useful for smoking out the cranks over the last couple of days. There are a lot more of them here than I had realised.
Have I just read an argument based on Boris Johnsons fundamental decency?
We asked a sample of MPs the same simple probability question we asked them ten years ago - if you toss a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?
This time round, around half of respondents (52%) gave the correct answer of 25%
This is a likely improvement from when we polled MPs in 2011, when 40% of respondents gave the correct answer.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Your challenge for today: write a plausible 'male' paragraph containing all the words in the left column. Your challenge for tomorrow...
Looking at that list, I know and can pretty much define all the male ones, and all buy 5 or 6 of the female ones - not familiar with some of the types of material.
But it looks like a pair of strangely stereotyped selections - it's a list of largely tech words vs a list of largely 'homemaker' words. All those types of material and clothing.
Inflation starting to be a serious political headache for Biden and Dems reports NY Times. Mid terms looming...
"As for Democrats, “they are losing the working class,” [GOP] Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, said. “I feel that in my district. And their dismissiveness will be devastating in November.” "
Do we have this report of an alleged encounter authenticated?
Authenticated? LOL. This is pure 22nd June 2016 thinking.
All that matters is that it sounds very believable to anybody who's ever seen Love Laugh Liz in action. Whether or not it's actually true or not is of less moment.
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
I think it's Colchester.
That's what I thought, but couldn't find a reference to elections there.
Edit: Thanks all. Last time Colchester wasn't Tory of course it was LibDem.
Do we have this report of an alleged encounter authenticated?
Authenticated? LOL. This is pure 22nd June 2016 thinking.
All that matters is that it sounds very believable to anybody who's ever seen Love Laugh Liz in action. Whether or not it's actually true or not is of less moment.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
Inflation starting to be a serious political headache for Biden and Dems reports NY Times. Mid terms looming...
"As for Democrats, “they are losing the working class,” [GOP] Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, said. “I feel that in my district. And their dismissiveness will be devastating in November.” "
I expect the GOP to at least take the House in November, the party out of power in the White House has won the House of Representatives in every midterms during the first term of a new President in the last 40 years except 2002 (after 9/11). The Senate will be closer though
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Your challenge for today: write a plausible 'male' paragraph containing all the words in the left column. Your challenge for tomorrow...
Looking at that list, I know and can pretty much define all the male ones, and all buy 5 or 6 of the female ones - not familiar with some of the types of material.
But it looks like a pair of strangely stereotyped selections - it's a list of largely tech words vs a list of largely 'homemaker' words. All those types of material and clothing.
I assumed it was a wind up, for that very reason....
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
An example of keeping the customer happy was demonstrated some years back to a friend travelling with BA. He and his wife booked a deal where you travelled to New York on Concorde, back 747. He'd always wanted to do it, so was disappointed when he got to Heathrow to discover Concorde wasn't flying that day. He had to go out 747, but did come back on Concorde.
BA gave him and his wife a quarter of a million air-miles - each - for their inconvenience.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
I think it's Colchester.
That's what I thought, but couldn't find a reference to elections there.
Edit: Thanks all. Last time Colchester wasn't Tory of course it was LibDem.
Colchester council has been Tory controlled since last May when the Conservatives gained enough seats to form a coalition with Independents.
At the next general election it is Labour's 104th target seat and a seat Starmer would have to take to win most seats. Labour need an 8% swing to take it, much less than the 18% swing the LDs now need to win it
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
Yeah, I'm taking "it's a fabric" as good enough. Otherwise my two will evaporate to nil.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
It would be interesting to know what the absolute levels of knowledge of each of those words were.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
I would suggest that that is not the argument but the threat to the rest of Ukraine most certainly is
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
You know which country Crimea* and Donbas are in, right ?
Excellent header, Cyclefree. I suspect you have this ready to go for some time ?
As far as external stakeholders who put and keep sustained pressure on it to make that change; and... goes, we've already had the Chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on R4 this morning criticising the decision to terminate Dick, and claiming that '99% of officers are brave and good'... Not a great start.
Part of the problem, of course. I have no doubt that many of the homophobic etc officers are physical;y brave and, where homophobia isn't an issue, competent.
I listened to the interview, and it was very much a 'just a few bad apples' argument. And on what basis can you claim that 99% of officers are brave, or good, or even competent ? It's just rhetorical bullshit.
How can you even begin to reform an organisation if you start out with those assumptions ?
How many bad apples does it take to keep a guy known as “The Rapist” in the force, in a specialist armed unit at that, until one day he uses his badge to abduct, rape and kill a random member of the public?
That’s not one bad apple, thats a rotten orchard.
Three more rapes have been in court in recent months too.
Wayne Couzens was nicknamed "the rapist" in his previous job, not in the Metropolitan Police. It may have been a failure of vetting on his recruitment but once he was in the Met, it is hard to see how they could have dismissed him for having a nickname they did not know about. Should using prostitutes be held against him?
It's not his lack of faithfulness to his wife which is the issue here.
Many prostitutes are trafficked and abused. Their pimps are committing criminal offences, ones which ought to be investigated by the police. A policeman who gets involved with this world is helping perpetuate these criminal offences and also lays himself open to blackmail and pressure from unsavoury people.
It was a red flag which should have been followed up, especially for a policeman who was meant to have gone through advanced vetting.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are, according to the UK Government, part of Ukraine. Donbas is absolutely subject to the current threats. Crimea is not only in so far as it is firmly under the control of Russia, so they hardly need to re-invade it!
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
You know which country Crimea and Donbas are in, right ?
Of course, indeed we were due to go to Crimea on a cruise which was cancelled due to Russia's action
However, Russia is threatening the rest of Ukraine with serious consequences for Europe and that is the focus of the present dispute
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
It would be interesting to know what the absolute levels of knowledge of each of those words were.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
I would suggest that that is not the argument but the threat to the rest of Ukraine most certainly is
How do you define "the rest of Ukraine"? The front line in Donbas regularly shifts back and forth.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
It would be interesting to know what the absolute levels of knowledge of each of those words were.
I had a scan through the accompanying paper and couldn't immediately find a specific definition of "know the word" - "have ever heard it before" is a lower bar to clear that "can reasonably define it".
Incidentally, I know La Truss was trying to make herself look Thatcher-like with her fur hat etc.
But to me she looks like a jilted estate agent's wife investigating a murder on one of those ITV3 shows.
Oh dear - why so bitch? Does that pass for political comment these days? Can we all join in now? Any woman in any party?
The more salient point is that she turned up severely underprepared.
When you're insisting on the importance of recognising international borders, it's pretty important to make it clear that you respect Russia's borders, too. These sorts of geographical blunders completely undermine the point - and send the message that you don't take your interlocutor seriously enough to care.
That is incredibly stupid.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open ...Away from the cameras, Truss allegedly confused the Russian regions of Voronezh and Rostov with Ukrainian territory when Lavrov asked her whether she recognised Russia’s sovereignty over them. She repeatedly told Lavrov that the UK would never recognise Moscow’s claim, until the British ambassador was forced to step in to correct her, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported.
Truss partly confirmed the account in an interview with Russian press: “It seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have clearly indicated that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia,” she said, according to the British embassy in Moscow.
The episode follows a previous taunt by Russia last week when the foreign secretary was taken to task over her comment that “we are supplying and offering extra support to our Baltic allies across the Black Sea”. The Baltic Sea and the Black Sea – where Ukraine sits on the coast – are on opposite sides of Europe....
Careful, you're in danger of being called Moscow's useful idiot by the mere fact of recounting things that actually happened.
It is easy to confuse the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, but it should not be if you the Foreign Secretary at a crucial meeting
Do we have this report of an alleged encounter authenticated?
AIUI It came from a Moscow based newspaper owned by one Alisher Usmanov.
As I pointed out above, the FO have commented on it, and not denied it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-60325643 ...Truss was pressing for Russia to pull its troops back from Ukraine's borders and Lavrov was arguing that they were on their own national territory, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reports.
"You do recognise Russia's sovereignty over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?" Lavrov asked, referring to two Russian regions.
After a brief pause, the paper says, Truss replied: "Great Britain will never recognise Russia's sovereignty over those regions."
"Great Britain's Ambassador to the RF [Russian Federation], Deborah Bronnert, had to step in, delicately explaining to Ms Truss that the two regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are indeed Russian," Kommersant writes.
The British Embassy later tweeted (in Russian) this response from Truss: "During the meeting it seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have made clear that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia."
It is possible that Truss had been thinking of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed rebels control territory...
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
I think it's Colchester.
That's what I thought, but couldn't find a reference to elections there.
Edit: Thanks all. Last time Colchester wasn't Tory of course it was LibDem.
Colchester council has been Tory controlled since last May when the Conservatives gained enough seats to form a coalition with Independents.
At the next general election it is Labour's 104th target seat and a seat Starmer would have to take to win most seats. Labour need an 8% swing to take it, much less than the 18% swing the LDs now need to win it
The Tories will probably lose a few seats to Lab/Grn/LD to narrowly flip Colchester council from Tory-Ind led back to Lab/LD led.
I'm not sure how much the local elections will tell as though as some voters who vote LD at a local level in the Colchester suburbs will still vote Tory in general elections. Labour has built up a solid core vote in Colchester, supplanting the LDs but can they win swing voters in a general election?
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
An example of keeping the customer happy was demonstrated some years back to a friend travelling with BA. He and his wife booked a deal where you travelled to New York on Concorde, back 747. He'd always wanted to do it, so was disappointed when he got to Heathrow to discover Concorde wasn't flying that day. He had to go out 747, but did come back on Concorde.
BA gave him and his wife a quarter of a million air-miles - each - for their inconvenience.
Customer service shouldn't be difficult. Even if its something like your example where its operational issues or something outside your control or even if the customer has misread the thing, make it right and they come back.
What alarmed me a little about my experience this morning was that the hotel and the national reservations rep were both in agreement that something had gone wrong but thought the other party was responsible and basically passed the book. If this is an issue between Hilton group and the franchisee then sort it between yourselves.
Key Orange - London Borough Green - Unitary Pink - Metropolitan Purple - District Grey - No Election.
So no elections in most of the Tory Shires.
Hence the London elections, where all councillors are up, will have even more importance and in London the swing from the Tories since this year's council seats were last up in 2018 is worse than it is across the UK as a whole
What's the purple patch in NE Essex or SE Suffolk?
I think it's Colchester.
That's what I thought, but couldn't find a reference to elections there.
Edit: Thanks all. Last time Colchester wasn't Tory of course it was LibDem.
Colchester council has been Tory controlled since last May when the Conservatives gained enough seats to form a coalition with Independents.
At the next general election it is Labour's 104th target seat and a seat Starmer would have to take to win most seats. Labour need an 8% swing to take it, much less than the 18% swing the LDs now need to win it
The Tories will probably lose a few seats to Lab/Grn/LD to narrowly flip Colchester council from Tory-Ind led back to Lab/LD led.
I'm not sure how much the local elections will tell as though as some voters who vote LD at a local level in the Colchester suburbs will still vote Tory in general elections. Labour has built up a solid core vote in Colchester, supplanting the LDs but can they win swing voters in a general election?
Of course there is not an exact correlation but if Labour is going to win most seats, as current polls suggest, then they should certainly be looking to take Colchester from the Tories in May with the LDs (and hope LD voters locally then tactically vote Labour at the next general election now Starmer has replaced Corbyn as Labour leader). The boundary changes would make Colchester an even better prospect for Labour once they go through
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
You know which country Crimea and Donbas are in, right ?
Of course, indeed we were due to go to Crimea on a cruise which was cancelled due to Russia's action
However, Russia is threatening the rest of Ukraine with serious consequences for Europe and that is the focus of the present dispute
Indeed. But that doesn't change the challenge with phrases like "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine". This is part of Russia's strategy: make everything murky and indistinct. Russia has forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, but says it doesn't. If Russian forces more openly move into territory controlled by the DPR and LPR, does that count as an invasion? If DPR/LPR forces push the front line westwards, their numbers mysteriously increased, their equipment suddenly improved, does that count as an invasion?
It's difficult to draw a line in the sand in this context, which is exactly what Russia wants.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
It would be interesting to know what the absolute levels of knowledge of each of those words were.
I had a scan through the accompanying paper and couldn't immediately find a specific definition of "know the word" - "have ever heard it before" is a lower bar to clear that "can reasonably define it".
Quite. For instance I know what tulle is, but only now know what a peplum is having googled it, despite knowing it's a real word for something related to clothing (though it sounds more like an anatomical feature)..
It is possible that Truss had been thinking of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed rebels control territory...
Likewise Baltic/Black Sea.
When my dad worked in the British Embassy in Bruxelles they had visit from a cabinet minister who asked if Helmut Schmidt was the leader of East or West Germany.
I'm going to be smug now, because I predicted this defence a few weeks ago. Whilst lots of people were working from home, nearly all of them were doing so alone, or at most with a partner. Number Ten has to be pretty close to unique in the country in that it is simulatneously both the PM's home and a workplace that other people work in and it was able to function as a workplace throughout the period. With that combination it's not impossible that it has fallen into a gap in the regulations that could leave the PM's actions technically legal.
Not that "technically legal" would save him politically.
Employment lawyer here. .
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020
"7. During the emergency period, no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people except—
(a)where all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household, (b)where the gathering is essential for work purposes, ...."
In the absence of a definition of "public place" within the regulations or their parent legislation we have to look at the intention of Parliament. What you say Johnson will argue is that Number 10 Downing Street was not a "not public place" and so a gathering of people there was and could be lawful whatever the circumstances. Think about the implications of that. Could everyone in a block of flats (a "not public place") have had a party? Could people have hopped over garden fences (one "not public place" place to another "not public place") to have a party? The Queen could have had a party for all her staff at Buck House? Huge if true.
Alternatively it is a public place and his June 2020 birthday party was "essential for work purposes". Again, huge if true.
Defining a person's home as a "public place" would certainly be huge.
So parties at home ("not a public place") were fine then? Great! Refunds galore await a number of people wrongly fined under Regulation 7.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I've just had to cancel train tickets to Scotland (travelling north on the Sleeper tonight and back on LNER on Tuesday) thanks to catching Covid again 3 months after last time. Both companies have already refunded me, which was very fair and a big relief (the sleeper isn't cheap for a family of 5). Gutted to have yet more plans ruined by this bloody virus, though...
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
The only one on the male list that I couldn't make a reasonable stab at defining is thermistor (although I've heard of it, and having googled it I should have been able to define). I could do the same for about 8 on the female list (assuming "it's a plant" or "it's a fabric" is good enough).
Yeah, I'm taking "it's a fabric" as good enough. Otherwise my two will evaporate to nil.
All except 3 on the female side for me, all except one ('shemale') on the male side for me.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I've just had to cancel train tickets to Scotland (travelling north on the Sleeper tonight and back on LNER on Tuesday) thanks to catching Covid again 3 months after last time. Both companies have already refunded me, which was very fair and a big relief (the sleeper isn't cheap for a family of 5). Gutted to have yet more plans ruined by this bloody virus, though...
Bad luck! Hope you are feeling ok with it this time.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Your challenge for today: write a plausible 'male' paragraph containing all the words in the left column. Your challenge for tomorrow...
Oh dear. They nearly all seem to relate to traditional gender emphases.
Don't tell the language police. We clearly aren't enough all the same yet.
I'm not surprised that more men know the word checksum than women and vice versa with whipstitch, but the thing that society still struggles with is the minority of women who do know checksum, and the minority of men who know whipstitch.
Just because there's a difference doesn't mean that the difference is 100 - 0.
There are some people who want to police gender stereotypes as though you aren't allowed to transgress them.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I've just had to cancel train tickets to Scotland (travelling north on the Sleeper tonight and back on LNER on Tuesday) thanks to catching Covid again 3 months after last time. Both companies have already refunded me, which was very fair and a big relief (the sleeper isn't cheap for a family of 5). Gutted to have yet more plans ruined by this bloody virus, though...
Bad luck! Hope you are feeling ok with it this time.
Yes, pretty much symptom free, which in many ways makes it all the more frustrating... Although best not to pass it onto my 70-something parents I guess.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
Always feel there's a lot of understandable confusion over borders in that area, due to population changes, some forced, some due to natural migration. AIUI very few 'families' have lived in that area for more than a few generations, and is the Ukranian language significantly different from Russian? Or are we really looking at dialects of the original. After all, too, Kiev/Kyiv was the first 'capital' of the Rus. Who themselves were Scandinavian, at least as far as the rulers were concerned. Mr Sandpit probably has a lot more knowledge and information on the subject.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine
He won't.
Not unless Johnson and Truss keep poking the bear enough to get what they want: an invasion.
Nothing would suit Boris Johnson better than for Russia to invade.
Rubbish. There's no evidence that anyone in the UK government is in favour of that. This is conspiracy-theory level hogwash.
It is possible that Truss had been thinking of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed rebels control territory...
Likewise Baltic/Black Sea.
When my dad worked in the British Embassy in Bruxelles they had visit from a cabinet minister who asked if Helmut Schmidt was the leader of East or West Germany.
Do we have this report of an alleged encounter authenticated?
Authenticated? LOL. This is pure 22nd June 2016 thinking.
All that matters is that it sounds very believable to anybody who's ever seen Love Laugh Liz in action. Whether or not it's actually true or not is of less moment.
‘There’s no evidence for this but it’s a fact’, Chris Morris would be proud.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I've just had to cancel train tickets to Scotland (travelling north on the Sleeper tonight and back on LNER on Tuesday) thanks to catching Covid again 3 months after last time. Both companies have already refunded me, which was very fair and a big relief (the sleeper isn't cheap for a family of 5). Gutted to have yet more plans ruined by this bloody virus, though...
I was sat on the train to London leaving Darlington trying to book a ticket back north from York. Managed to bag a seriously cheap 1st class ticket on a train that had already left London, and then started the process of cancelling the hotel, trying to sell the gig tickets and cancelling the sleeper booking I'd had for the way home. Caledonian Sleeper had the refund back in my account by the time I got off the train in York to turn around.
As you say its great when the companies are understanding and from what I have seen (even with Hilton previously) most are when it comes to Covid. They know that people aren't going to book travel they can't cancel without huge penalty should they get the pox. And the travel industry needs all the self-help it can get right now.
I'm going to be smug now, because I predicted this defence a few weeks ago. Whilst lots of people were working from home, nearly all of them were doing so alone, or at most with a partner. Number Ten has to be pretty close to unique in the country in that it is simulatneously both the PM's home and a workplace that other people work in and it was able to function as a workplace throughout the period. With that combination it's not impossible that it has fallen into a gap in the regulations that could leave the PM's actions technically legal.
Not that "technically legal" would save him politically.
Employment lawyer here. .
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020
"7. During the emergency period, no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people except—
(a)where all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household, (b)where the gathering is essential for work purposes, ...."
In the absence of a definition of "public place" within the regulations or their parent legislation we have to look at the intention of Parliament. What you say Johnson will argue is that Number 10 Downing Street was not a "not public place" and so a gathering of people there was and could be lawful whatever the circumstances. Think about the implications of that. Could everyone in a block of flats (a "not public place") have had a party? Could people have hopped over garden fences (one "not public place" place to another "not public place") to have a party? The Queen could have had a party for all her staff at Buck House? Huge if true.
Alternatively it is a public place and his June 2020 birthday party was "essential for work purposes". Again, huge if true.
Defining a person's home as a "public place" would certainly be huge.
So parties at home ("not a public place") were fine then? Great! Refunds galore await a number of people wrongly fined under Regulation 7.
Most fines, I suspect, would have been under Regulation 6 - but it's arguable that Boris is himself not liable to fines under Regulation 6 for gatherings in Number Ten as it's his home.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
Always feel there's a lot of understandable confusion over borders in that area, due to population changes, some forced, some due to natural migration. AIUI very few 'families' have lived in that area for more than a few generations, and is the Ukranian language significantly different from Russian? Or are we really looking at dialects of the original. After all, too, Kiev/Kyiv was the first 'capital' of the Rus. Who themselves were Scandinavian, at least as far as the rulers were concerned. Mr Sandpit probably has a lot more knowledge and information on the subject.
It is very complicated indeed. At one point the leader of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth was acknowledged Lord of the Rus, with their eastern neighbours regarded merely as Muscovites.
But the idea that Ukraine is rightly a part of Russia has no real historical justification.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Yes. Historical parallels are always inexact, but the better comparison is not to Munich 1938, but with March 1939, except this time around we disputed diplomatically the 1938 annexation.
Does that mean we can forestall the next step? I find it hard to judge, but we're already doing better than in the late 30s.
Incidentally, I know La Truss was trying to make herself look Thatcher-like with her fur hat etc.
But to me she looks like a jilted estate agent's wife investigating a murder on one of those ITV3 shows.
Oh dear - why so bitch? Does that pass for political comment these days? Can we all join in now? Any woman in any party?
The more salient point is that she turned up severely underprepared.
When you're insisting on the importance of recognising international borders, it's pretty important to make it clear that you respect Russia's borders, too. These sorts of geographical blunders completely undermine the point - and send the message that you don't take your interlocutor seriously enough to care.
That is incredibly stupid.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open ...Away from the cameras, Truss allegedly confused the Russian regions of Voronezh and Rostov with Ukrainian territory when Lavrov asked her whether she recognised Russia’s sovereignty over them. She repeatedly told Lavrov that the UK would never recognise Moscow’s claim, until the British ambassador was forced to step in to correct her, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported.
Truss partly confirmed the account in an interview with Russian press: “It seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have clearly indicated that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia,” she said, according to the British embassy in Moscow.
The episode follows a previous taunt by Russia last week when the foreign secretary was taken to task over her comment that “we are supplying and offering extra support to our Baltic allies across the Black Sea”. The Baltic Sea and the Black Sea – where Ukraine sits on the coast – are on opposite sides of Europe....
Careful, you're in danger of being called Moscow's useful idiot by the mere fact of recounting things that actually happened.
It is easy to confuse the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, but it should not be if you the Foreign Secretary at a crucial meeting
Do we have this report of an alleged encounter authenticated?
AIUI It came from a Moscow based newspaper owned by one Alisher Usmanov.
As I pointed out above, the FO have commented on it, and not denied it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-60325643 ...Truss was pressing for Russia to pull its troops back from Ukraine's borders and Lavrov was arguing that they were on their own national territory, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reports.
"You do recognise Russia's sovereignty over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?" Lavrov asked, referring to two Russian regions.
After a brief pause, the paper says, Truss replied: "Great Britain will never recognise Russia's sovereignty over those regions."
"Great Britain's Ambassador to the RF [Russian Federation], Deborah Bronnert, had to step in, delicately explaining to Ms Truss that the two regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are indeed Russian," Kommersant writes.
The British Embassy later tweeted (in Russian) this response from Truss: "During the meeting it seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have made clear that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia."
It is possible that Truss had been thinking of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed rebels control territory...
Likewise Baltic/Black Sea.
It sounds like she took a Peppa Pig approach to the occasion - aka rocking up unbriefed and trying to wing it. This cannot work without the innate 'Saturday Night at the Palladium' razzle dazzle of our Prime Minister.
Excellent header, Cyclefree. I suspect you have this ready to go for some time ?
As far as external stakeholders who put and keep sustained pressure on it to make that change; and... goes, we've already had the Chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on R4 this morning criticising the decision to terminate Dick, and claiming that '99% of officers are brave and good'... Not a great start.
Part of the problem, of course. I have no doubt that many of the homophobic etc officers are physical;y brave and, where homophobia isn't an issue, competent.
I listened to the interview, and it was very much a 'just a few bad apples' argument. And on what basis can you claim that 99% of officers are brave, or good, or even competent ? It's just rhetorical bullshit.
How can you even begin to reform an organisation if you start out with those assumptions ?
How many bad apples does it take to keep a guy known as “The Rapist” in the force, in a specialist armed unit at that, until one day he uses his badge to abduct, rape and kill a random member of the public?
That’s not one bad apple, thats a rotten orchard.
Three more rapes have been in court in recent months too.
Wayne Couzens was nicknamed "the rapist" in his previous job, not in the Metropolitan Police. It may have been a failure of vetting on his recruitment but once he was in the Met, it is hard to see how they could have dismissed him for having a nickname they did not know about. Should using prostitutes be held against him?
Yes, the problem is not just the Met, it is pretty universal in UK forces, just gets more attention in London. Indeed, plenty of evidence of similar or worse in other countries Police forces too.
To an extent it is intrinsic to the nature of policing. The job is to control, and physically interdict those society considers deviants and is attractive to people who rather relish that power.
Which is why you need effective training, professionalism, a good culture and strong leadership to ensure that that power does not get abused.
Yes, in my business too. Otherwise you get the sort of abuse of power seen in "This is Going to Hurt" the other night. I thought it appalling and misogynistic, and am horrified by some of the applause on medical twitter.
If maternity units are really like that, then no wonder we have repeated scandals in Nottingham, Shropshire, Morecombe, Essex etc.
Any job where people have power over others has an attraction for those who enjoy that power, and for those weaker souls that enable or accept it. It needs to be actively called out, and those who do so to be supported.
Though that programme was absurd. Do Doctors really treat each other like that?
I quit a job because the culture was toxic, but it was nothing on that.
I am glad you thought it was appalling, Foxy. So did I. My book group read it on the recommendation of a retired midwife, who claimed that it captured exactly how it is on maternity wards. Apart from the misogyny, I thought it was a betrayal of trust for a former doctor to reveal intimate details about his patients. Although he didn't mention names, I am sure that from the details some of the patients would be able to recognise themselves. Many people are reluctant to go to doctors on problems relating to their private parts and any shyness won't be helped by a former doctor writing a book and going on tours which encourage members of the public to laugh at patients.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
Completely innacurate. The UK has scrapped covid test requirements for double jabbed travellers. Not the same things as "UK scraps covid tests as half-term getaway begins". You can argue its a headline, but its shockingly innacurate.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
Always feel there's a lot of understandable confusion over borders in that area, due to population changes, some forced, some due to natural migration. AIUI very few 'families' have lived in that area for more than a few generations, and is the Ukranian language significantly different from Russian? Or are we really looking at dialects of the original. After all, too, Kiev/Kyiv was the first 'capital' of the Rus. Who themselves were Scandinavian, at least as far as the rulers were concerned. Mr Sandpit probably has a lot more knowledge and information on the subject.
You know the oft-used definition of a language? A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.
There are many equally confused situations in the world. Is the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border any less confused? But the international community has recognised that if you start confusing international borders, then the entire system falls apart. If there's confusion, the "clarity" shouldn't come at the barrel of a gun.
Completely innacurate. The UK has scrapped covid test requirements for double jabbed travellers. Not the same things as "UK scraps covid tests as half-term getaway begins". You can argue its a headline, but its shockingly innacurate.
The irony of the BBC having its own fact checker too.
Pecresse blasts Berlin and the EU as she takes a more eurosceptic tone in order to try and win over Zemmour and Le Pen voters ahead of April's French presidential election.
"Pécresse, the candidate of the conservative Les Républicains party in April's election, bashed Brussels and Berlin this week at a lunch for business leaders at a club for Parisian elites.
“I'll tell you something, the feeling I have when I look at Europe is that those who really have the power in Europe are the NGOs and the Germans," said Pécresse, leader of the council that governs the Paris region.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" As long as you have a logical answer to that, even if I would have done something different, I don't have a problem.
"Computer says no" attitude is a clear sign of not thinking.
Neil Coyle has Labour whip suspended following allegations of racists remarks to journalists
It looks like Labour dragged their feet over this action - considering the perpetrator already banned from every bar in parliament for his crime, before Labour do anything.
Why was Starmer’s Labour so slow to react to their MPs racist attack considering their issues on this in the recent past, surely they want to be more firm and proactive now?
"While everyone is talking about "Stop The War Coalition", a reminder that when the Yazidi minority in Iraq were being massacred by Islamic State in 2014, the organisation was claiming the genocide was "mythical", and was designed to distract attention from "Palestinians in Gaza"."
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" ....
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" As long as you have a logical answer to that, even if I would have done something different, I don't have a problem.
"Computer says no" attitude is a clear sign of not thinking.
Exactly. You need your teem to feel empowered to make decisions even if there is risk - "permission to fail". Stuff inevitably goes wrong regardless of how good the process or how great the people. Fix the problem. Find out what happened and why. Take the learning and do it differently next time. Failures should be positives if they are treated properly.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" ....
And sometimes, what the **** were you thinking ?
The questions I usually pose are 'What were you thinking? Were you even thinking?'
Incidentally, I know La Truss was trying to make herself look Thatcher-like with her fur hat etc.
But to me she looks like a jilted estate agent's wife investigating a murder on one of those ITV3 shows.
Oh dear - why so bitch? Does that pass for political comment these days? Can we all join in now? Any woman in any party?
The more salient point is that she turned up severely underprepared.
When you're insisting on the importance of recognising international borders, it's pretty important to make it clear that you respect Russia's borders, too. These sorts of geographical blunders completely undermine the point - and send the message that you don't take your interlocutor seriously enough to care.
That is incredibly stupid.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open ...Away from the cameras, Truss allegedly confused the Russian regions of Voronezh and Rostov with Ukrainian territory when Lavrov asked her whether she recognised Russia’s sovereignty over them. She repeatedly told Lavrov that the UK would never recognise Moscow’s claim, until the British ambassador was forced to step in to correct her, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported.
Truss partly confirmed the account in an interview with Russian press: “It seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have clearly indicated that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia,” she said, according to the British embassy in Moscow.
The episode follows a previous taunt by Russia last week when the foreign secretary was taken to task over her comment that “we are supplying and offering extra support to our Baltic allies across the Black Sea”. The Baltic Sea and the Black Sea – where Ukraine sits on the coast – are on opposite sides of Europe....
Careful, you're in danger of being called Moscow's useful idiot by the mere fact of recounting things that actually happened.
It is easy to confuse the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, but it should not be if you the Foreign Secretary at a crucial meeting
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" As long as you have a logical answer to that, even if I would have done something different, I don't have a problem.
"Computer says no" attitude is a clear sign of not thinking.
Indeed, especially in the travel industry.
The problem is, to some extent, the computerised and algorithmic business model typified by the low-cost airlines, where wildly different prices are charged for the same basic product, and significant profit is made from those customers who fall out of tightly-defined but arbitrary categories.
The pandemic has forced some flexibility at the expense of margin, and the industry is desparate to get back to their adversarial model of charging people hundreds of pounds when they’re ‘caught out’ jumping through the hoops.
I’d advise anyone booking any trips abroad for this year to make it a total package with ABTA and ATOL behind it, and if travelling for an event to make sure the event ticket is included, so the flights and hotels will change if the event does. There will almost certainly be travel industry bankruptcies this year.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if slightly more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" ....
And sometimes, what the **** were you thinking ?
Sometimes "what the actual *** is that?" But the errant team member or process should get dealt with *after* the issue that has been created. Make it right, then investigate, then take whatever action is needed.
The problem I have found is that the balance is hard to make. Some managers / organisations micromanage to death, take every decision in committee which in practice means not making decisions. Employees are given just enough rope to hang themselves with. Or at the other end of the spectrum mismanaged shambolic operations where there is no leadership from the top, little care or interest from the people below them and processes work by accident rather than design until they abruptly don't.
My biggest learning was that every day is a school day. Take your lessons from everything and everyone. Learn best practice not only from the people showing best practice but from the people and organisations who are shambolic.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
Biden confirms he will not send any US troops to Ukraine if Russia invades, even to rescue any US citizens left there. He urges all Americans left in Ukraine to get out now
Those four B-52s that just turned up at Fairford, for ‘pre-planned exercises that have nothing to do with the Ukranian situation’ on the other hand. Maybe they came to admire the English countryside.
If Putin goes beyond Ukraine and into a NATO nation then those B52s and the extra US and NATO troops being sent to Poland, Romania and the Baltic States would be used.
Ukraine alone however would not lead to war, just US led economic sanctions on Russia
The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine Biden publicly stated he would take out Nordstream pipeline and this with the German Chancellor standing beside him
Furthermore millions of Ukraine peoples will overwhelm the EU borders and it will escalate into war as the Baltic states act to protect themselves
The problem with saying, "The minute Russia crosses into Ukraine," is that Russia has been *in* Ukraine for years. They occupy Crimea. Russian forces are in Donbas.
Crimea and Donbas are not subject to the current threats, Ukraine and Kiev is
Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine, that's the point.
Always feel there's a lot of understandable confusion over borders in that area, due to population changes, some forced, some due to natural migration. AIUI very few 'families' have lived in that area for more than a few generations, and is the Ukranian language significantly different from Russian? Or are we really looking at dialects of the original. After all, too, Kiev/Kyiv was the first 'capital' of the Rus. Who themselves were Scandinavian, at least as far as the rulers were concerned. Mr Sandpit probably has a lot more knowledge and information on the subject.
You know the oft-used definition of a language? A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.
There are many equally confused situations in the world. Is the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border any less confused? But the international community has recognised that if you start confusing international borders, then the entire system falls apart. If there's confusion, the "clarity" shouldn't come at the barrel of a gun.
Not heard the 'definition' before, but like it. The RoI/NI border is of course what the British Government could get away with to 'satisfy' both the Orange Order and the nascent Irish Republic. And no, of course, the clarity should come that way, but if you draw lines on a map, somebody will live the wrong side of it!
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
Fun times with Hilton. Booked a points stay in December in London. Had to turn around half way there as Mrs RP had contracted Covid. Rang the hotel to advise them I couldn't make it and why. London on a December weekend is mega busy, have the room back.
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
I once worked with a well-known hotel chain out here, they had a rule of empowerment to cover stuff like this, where if everyone is thinking WTF? the person talking to the customer can sort it out, and deal with the questions and processes afterwards. It makes a huge difference to what customers think of them, as you know there is nothing worst then the ‘computer says no’ attitude so prevalent these days.
As a boss, when something goes wrong, my first question will be (I paraphrase) "what were you thinking?" As long as you have a logical answer to that, even if I would have done something different, I don't have a problem.
"Computer says no" attitude is a clear sign of not thinking.
Exactly. You need your teem to feel empowered to make decisions even if there is risk - "permission to fail". Stuff inevitably goes wrong regardless of how good the process or how great the people. Fix the problem. Find out what happened and why. Take the learning and do it differently next time. Failures should be positives if they are treated properly.
Indeed. Also, in my line of work it's now very difficult for a single error to result in something going wrong to the extent that the customer notices it - because we've worked on the processes. It's a trite cliche, but there really is no such thing as a stupid question except the one you should ask but don't - and if something feels wrong, it probably is. Don't be afraid to challenge a colleague (or me) - if you're right, the other person will learn something and you may have avoided an error that the customer will notice (and maybe future such errors). And even if you're wrong, you will learn something.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
Incidentally, I know La Truss was trying to make herself look Thatcher-like with her fur hat etc.
But to me she looks like a jilted estate agent's wife investigating a murder on one of those ITV3 shows.
Oh dear - why so bitch? Does that pass for political comment these days? Can we all join in now? Any woman in any party?
The more salient point is that she turned up severely underprepared.
When you're insisting on the importance of recognising international borders, it's pretty important to make it clear that you respect Russia's borders, too. These sorts of geographical blunders completely undermine the point - and send the message that you don't take your interlocutor seriously enough to care.
That is incredibly stupid.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/10/russia-must-respect-ukraine-sovereignty-liz-truss-talks-open ...Away from the cameras, Truss allegedly confused the Russian regions of Voronezh and Rostov with Ukrainian territory when Lavrov asked her whether she recognised Russia’s sovereignty over them. She repeatedly told Lavrov that the UK would never recognise Moscow’s claim, until the British ambassador was forced to step in to correct her, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported.
Truss partly confirmed the account in an interview with Russian press: “It seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have clearly indicated that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia,” she said, according to the British embassy in Moscow.
The episode follows a previous taunt by Russia last week when the foreign secretary was taken to task over her comment that “we are supplying and offering extra support to our Baltic allies across the Black Sea”. The Baltic Sea and the Black Sea – where Ukraine sits on the coast – are on opposite sides of Europe....
Careful, you're in danger of being called Moscow's useful idiot by the mere fact of recounting things that actually happened.
It is easy to confuse the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, but it should not be if you the Foreign Secretary at a crucial meeting
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
Ha ha, I got all the UK ones and 7 of the US, surprised not to have done better on those since I lived there for 5 years. I was pretty stumped by both the male and female lists earlier, does that make me trans?
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I feel seen. I missed one on the male list (aileron) and I knew just two on the female list (damask and taffeta).
I know very few of either but I'm ever so slightly better on the female ones.
#ignoramusinaskirt
I know all the female words and 7 of the male ones.
Looking at it carefully again, around 9 of the male and five or six of the female , for me. There must be an awful lot of American-specific stuff in there.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
I only know definitively about a dozen of the 'male' words (I have a vague idea of maybe 4 or 5 more), while I know almost all of the 'female' words. Kicking the ass of gender stereotyping, one word at a time.
I knew all the "female" words though probably only because they are basically fabrics and I learned to sew at school. So all it seems to show is that lots of women understand how women's clothes are constructed, and not many men do. All but a couple of the "male" words, which were a bit more diverse, suggesting there's no similarly exclusively male field of knowledge.
The "male" words all, I think, fit into three loose categories: science, technology and war.
..and heavily biased towards US versions of these. A British one would be quite different, I think. I tend to regard myself as a reasonably literary in most contexts, and know almost as few of the male ones as the female ones, if marginally more. Presumably the upshot is that I'm definitely not a U.S man or woman.
Sky suggesting that the MET will decide who gets a criminal conviction on the responses to their e mails
I understand a FPN is not a criminal conviction anymore than a parking ticket
FPNs are used for traffic offences and some other criminal offences. Parking tickets are PCNs (penalty charge notices) I think. As I understand it accepting and paying an FPN is admitting that you are guilty of a criminal offence. If you choose to go to court instead then I guess you would be "actively" convicted if found guilty of the offence.
Perhaps not quite accurate terminology but not sure it's relevant here: FPNs are issued where the police believe a criminal offence has been committed, and I don't think Johnson will do too well with the distinction "well yes, I committed an offence, but it wasn't a criminal conviction".
(I'd like to think the Met don't decide who gets a criminal conviction, rather than making a charging recommendation to the CPS so that guilt can be established via the appropriate court process, but perhaps I'm out of date.)
Comments
Don't tell the language police. We clearly aren't enough all the same yet.
We also should have the NI assembly elections.
yikes
Neil Coyle has Labour whip suspended following allegations of racists remarks to journalists
But it looks like a pair of strangely stereotyped selections - it's a list of largely tech words vs a list of largely 'homemaker' words. All those types of material and clothing.
I want to talk about the Dick Succession.
"As for Democrats, “they are losing the working class,” [GOP] Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, said. “I feel that in my district. And their dismissiveness will be devastating in November.” "
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/us/politics/inflation-numbers.html
Give or take a night or two...."
The whole album is superb. First We Take Manhattan, Tower of Song, I'm Your Man.....
All that matters is that it sounds very believable to anybody who's ever seen Love Laugh Liz in action. Whether or not it's actually true or not is of less moment.
Edit: Thanks all. Last time Colchester wasn't Tory of course it was LibDem.
- with no apologies to Dan Rather
Was a little surprised to get the points refunded a few days later but with their safe Covid travel bookings policies didn't think anything of it. This morning the hotel has charged me cash! Two months later for an amount not agreed (as it was points). Ring the hotel they said it sounded odd but have no idea why, they transfer me to reservations, they are also in the dark. They also speak to the hotel, and having failed to get anywhere recommend I send a blind email to a generic reservations email address so they can look into it.
So have disputed the transaction with the card company and sent the email to Hilton as requested. Pointed out that as a diamond member in control of c 300 nights a year travel policy that random "we don't know what it is or how to resolve it" charges months down the line are not conducive to us doing business. Will see what happens next.
I do love "computer says no" responses. Something has happened. Nobody knows why. Everyone agrees looks very odd but because its a what happened here then don't know how to resolve it. Just make the customer happy and sort your shit process later.
BA gave him and his wife a quarter of a million air-miles - each - for their inconvenience.
At the next general election it is Labour's 104th target seat and a seat Starmer would have to take to win most seats. Labour need an 8% swing to take it, much less than the 18% swing the LDs now need to win it
*As recognised by the UN
Many prostitutes are trafficked and abused. Their pimps are committing criminal offences, ones which ought to be investigated by the police. A policeman who gets involved with this world is helping perpetuate these criminal offences and also lays himself open to blackmail and pressure from unsavoury people.
It was a red flag which should have been followed up, especially for a policeman who was meant to have gone through advanced vetting.
However, Russia is threatening the rest of Ukraine with serious consequences for Europe and that is the focus of the present dispute
https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-018-1077-9/tables/2
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-60325643
...Truss was pressing for Russia to pull its troops back from Ukraine's borders and Lavrov was arguing that they were on their own national territory, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reports.
"You do recognise Russia's sovereignty over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?" Lavrov asked, referring to two Russian regions.
After a brief pause, the paper says, Truss replied: "Great Britain will never recognise Russia's sovereignty over those regions."
"Great Britain's Ambassador to the RF [Russian Federation], Deborah Bronnert, had to step in, delicately explaining to Ms Truss that the two regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are indeed Russian," Kommersant writes.
The British Embassy later tweeted (in Russian) this response from Truss: "During the meeting it seemed to me that Minister Lavrov was talking about a part of Ukraine. I have made clear that these regions [Rostov and Voronezh] are part of sovereign Russia."
It is possible that Truss had been thinking of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian-backed rebels control territory...
Likewise Baltic/Black Sea.
I'm not sure how much the local elections will tell as though as some voters who vote LD at a local level in the Colchester suburbs will still vote Tory in general elections. Labour has built up a solid core vote in Colchester, supplanting the LDs but can they win swing voters in a general election?
What alarmed me a little about my experience this morning was that the hotel and the national reservations rep were both in agreement that something had gone wrong but thought the other party was responsible and basically passed the book. If this is an issue between Hilton group and the franchisee then sort it between yourselves.
It's difficult to draw a line in the sand in this context, which is exactly what Russia wants.
For instance I know what tulle is, but only now know what a peplum is having googled it, despite knowing it's a real word for something related to clothing (though it sounds more like an anatomical feature)..
Just because there's a difference doesn't mean that the difference is 100 - 0.
There are some people who want to police gender stereotypes as though you aren't allowed to transgress them.
Mr Sandpit probably has a lot more knowledge and information on the subject.
#ignoramusinaskirt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Brown,_Baron_George-Brown
(And at least the minister thought to ask...)
As you say its great when the companies are understanding and from what I have seen (even with Hilton previously) most are when it comes to Covid. They know that people aren't going to book travel they can't cancel without huge penalty should they get the pox. And the travel industry needs all the self-help it can get right now.
https://twitter.com/MilitaryBanter/status/1491772437490540550
At one point the leader of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth was acknowledged Lord of the Rus, with their eastern neighbours regarded merely as Muscovites.
But the idea that Ukraine is rightly a part of Russia has no real historical justification.
Does that mean we can forestall the next step? I find it hard to judge, but we're already doing better than in the late 30s.
https://bbc.co.uk/news/live/60341316
Completely innacurate. The UK has scrapped covid test requirements for double jabbed travellers. Not the same things as "UK scraps covid tests as half-term getaway begins". You can argue its a headline, but its shockingly innacurate.
There are many equally confused situations in the world. Is the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border any less confused? But the international community has recognised that if you start confusing international borders, then the entire system falls apart. If there's confusion, the "clarity" shouldn't come at the barrel of a gun.
"Pécresse, the candidate of the conservative Les Républicains party in April's election, bashed Brussels and Berlin this week at a lunch for business leaders at a club for Parisian elites.
“I'll tell you something, the feeling I have when I look at Europe is that those who really have the power in Europe are the NGOs and the Germans," said Pécresse, leader of the council that governs the Paris region.
...On Sunday, she described EU migration policy as “a migration Waterloo”'
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-presidential-elections-valerie-pecresse-blasts-berlin-and-brussels-in-presidential-bid/
What is it to be: a denizen of the Ukiyo-e
https://twitter.com/communistbops/status/1239302618108907522?s=20&t=ihNEtA9XqUxIbzdytgWKCw
"Computer says no" attitude is a clear sign of not thinking.
Why was Starmer’s Labour so slow to react to their MPs racist attack considering their issues on this in the recent past, surely they want to be more firm and proactive now?
"While everyone is talking about "Stop The War Coalition", a reminder that when the Yazidi minority in Iraq were being massacred by Islamic State in 2014, the organisation was claiming the genocide was "mythical", and was designed to distract attention from "Palestinians in Gaza"."
https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1492065913037799424?s=20&t=o6cngwwqBBU3Gc48-ls1qw
I understand a FPN is not a criminal conviction anymore than a parking ticket
The problem is, to some extent, the computerised and algorithmic business model typified by the low-cost airlines, where wildly different prices are charged for the same basic product, and significant profit is made from those customers who fall out of tightly-defined but arbitrary categories.
The pandemic has forced some flexibility at the expense of margin, and the industry is desparate to get back to their adversarial model of charging people hundreds of pounds when they’re ‘caught out’ jumping through the hoops.
I’d advise anyone booking any trips abroad for this year to make it a total package with ABTA and ATOL behind it, and if travelling for an event to make sure the event ticket is included, so the flights and hotels will change if the event does. There will almost certainly be travel industry bankruptcies this year.
https://twitter.com/robosllim/status/1491449442666708992?s=20&t=aqB-eSSvXQmK3njwTMX1lw
The problem I have found is that the balance is hard to make. Some managers / organisations micromanage to death, take every decision in committee which in practice means not making decisions. Employees are given just enough rope to hang themselves with. Or at the other end of the spectrum mismanaged shambolic operations where there is no leadership from the top, little care or interest from the people below them and processes work by accident rather than design until they abruptly don't.
My biggest learning was that every day is a school day. Take your lessons from everything and everyone. Learn best practice not only from the people showing best practice but from the people and organisations who are shambolic.
And no, of course, the clarity should come that way, but if you draw lines on a map, somebody will live the wrong side of it!
Books are an education, no doubt.
Preferably in the manner of Abraham Van Helsing.
I was pretty stumped by both the male and female lists earlier, does that make me trans?
I looked up "chigger" assuming it was a racial slur. It isn't!
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chigger#Etymology_2
Perhaps not quite accurate terminology but not sure it's relevant here: FPNs are issued where the police believe a criminal offence has been committed, and I don't think Johnson will do too well with the distinction "well yes, I committed an offence, but it wasn't a criminal conviction".
(I'd like to think the Met don't decide who gets a criminal conviction, rather than making a charging recommendation to the CPS so that guilt can be established via the appropriate court process, but perhaps I'm out of date.)