(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 16m Staggering quote from @ShippersUnbound column: “He [Rishi Sunak] thinks Putin will still be there and that there will have to be a deal with him and if that’s the case is it really worth the pain to the economy?”.
Wow. Did Rishi say this in an on-the-record interview, or is it something he secretly confided with Boris that somehow - astonishingly - got leaked out?
We await the S Times tomorrow for the full story I guess.
We will all have to review our next tory leader bets I think after Sunak's week from hell.
Given Sunak's role in delaying effective action to slow the second wave in autumn 2020, this really doesn't surprise me as much as it should.
Yes, him putting the demonstrably wrong Gupta (we've all secretly had Covid) and Heneghan (second wave, i see no second wave) in the room with Johnson should have already been disqualifying.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
I'm not sure he even understands himself why he is so triggered by the way you refer to someone he doesn't know and who is none of his business.
That's precisely what I'd want from a Chancellor if I was PM. I'd want full-fat war mongering from Defense, a big bucket of cold water from the Treasury.
I reckon this is typical Cabinet level debate, and the headline is a bit unfair.
How he made the point is rather significant. Pointing out the cost of anything, no issue. If he's arguing to do as little as possible because of a bit of economic damage, that's open to criticism, though he is free to have an opinion on it.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
'Little 'un' is a term of affection for my child, although it is becoming increasingly inaccurate. I'm unsure quite how you'd make its usage to be 'creepy'.
I might therefore suggest the issue is at your end, rather than mine.
We used to call Rishi “little un” at school - it did him no good. Stop it now or your child will become a billionaire tax dodger. Only trying to help. These nicknames stick and children then feel the need to push back and next thing you know they are married to a foreign woman worth billions who doesn’t want to spend her life in the UK. Be warned.
"Shanghai residents revolt over Zero Covid lockdown: Videos shows mobs looting stores for food after being confined to their homes for 22 days
Panic-buying turns into looting at supply points as residents fight for food Locals also seen breaking Covid barriers which stop them going between streets Severe lockdown has failed to curb Covid cases as Omicron prompts case record Shanghai had 23,600 new cases Friday - and official data likely understating it Infected babies and under-7s taken by docs and separated from their parents"
Oryx now has 2,702 confirmed losses of Russian kit, including 456 tanks.
That’s 15% of the tanks the Russian army claims to have. In six weeks.
The Ukranian kill claim is 700 tanks, 22% of Russian tanks.
If we are generous and say that Russia can field half the number of tanks they say they have (look at all the WWII relics and unserviceable crap we have seen), and they’ve lost 30-40% of their tanks already. Give it a couple of months more, and they won’t have any left!
That's precisely what I'd want from a Chancellor if I was PM. I'd want full-fat war mongering from Defense, a big bucket of cold water from the Treasury.
I reckon this is typical Cabinet level debate, and the headline is a bit unfair.
How he made the point is rather significant. Pointing out the cost of anything, no issue. If he's arguing to do as little as possible because of a bit of economic damage, that's open to criticism, though he is free to have an opinion on it.
I'd want him to say it even if he didn't think it himself.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
Entertainingly off-topic but we've decided we want to open a cafe. We own (one of) the former bank(s) in the village, there's a decent catchment, the previous cafe shut 6 years ago when the owners retired and is still talked about, and we've had a neb round various other similar establishments and looks like a good idea.
OK so I'm going to be busy (I'm about to be London-based half the week managing my soon to be former client's new UK business) but figure that as no rent is payable can afford to employ people. Have started building the business plan and the profit margins on some of these items are daft.
Just need to tackle the council's planning people. No physical alterations to the building needed inside or out, but its listed and the planning portal suggests even a change of use needs plans to show the non-work I plan on doing...
The plans will need to show the internal layout - number of seats, kitchen equipment including vent ducting etc - and any external signage attached to the building. You might also need to show you have places for people to park, depending on the precise location and how anal the council are about these things. The margins can seem daft, but there’s lots of wastage and the staff costs can add up. That said, with no rent it should be possible to make a decent business out of it. Good luck!
Thanks - am going to speak to the local planning office and get an understanding from them what they need. Ducting? We're golden. Food prep will be in the former comms room and there is an existing extraction fan. Simply replace with a modern one with no holes needing to be cut. Clearly they'll need to look at parking for the change of use application.
We're on the main road and there is on street parking and a layby across the road. We get an eclectic mix of people parking outside - from cars to HGVs to mahoosive Clarson-sized tractors. Suspect they will want to consider that as part of the change of use application, but as there was no parking when it was a bank and the new shop across the road (shop converted to house reconverted to shop) also has on street parking only.
What I am trying to get my head around is disabled access. There is an existing ramp to the front door, but the toilets are down a wheelchair unfriendly corridor having gone up two small steps. Realistically that isn't something that can be changed. I know plenty of existing premises with wholly inaccessible toilets so I know it isn't a barrier. However, the rear fire door is also up those two steps. Was open as a bank til 2016 so was in code back then, wonder what may have changed...
I'm just funding someone through the last parts of getting a health food cafe up and running.
Points (from English context):
1 - The food hygiene requirements are fearsome in terms of time to learn. 2 - Take a careful look at use classes. Down here this was loosened up recently, in the teeth of all kind of 'activist' organisations who wanted the opportunity to stop things they did not like. Has Scotland followed? 3 - There's lots of startup support around down here. But quite modest levels. 4 - Important to have commercial equipment for a lot of it. eg Dishwashers need to run at 82C for hygiene otherwise it is a multi-stage hand procedure. Domestics only run at 65-70C. 5 - Coffee machines are f*cking, f*cking expensive. Many thousands. A surprising amount of people love Galaxy Drinking Chocolate. 6 - Don't skimp on maintenance agreements for kit. 7 - I'd punt that you will need to budget 30-70k for investment in the cafe project by the time you get to opening time. We are at about 30-35k after some inexperience errors, but it is in our own gym so things like loos are in place and time has not been charged, and no need for Planning.
Thanks for the list. Regarding coffee machines and other mega expense items the business plan is to lease them. Why spend £10k on a machine you can rent for £20 a week? That way you can replace with newer technology / fads as they come along.
We're going to need to do some building work - various areas will need replaster/paint and carpet tiles replaced by vinyl. Thinking stainless steel for all the food prep area which isn't *that* expensive* and if we open with a more daytime coffee / cake / soup / sandwich type menu don't need vast equipment to produce food, at least not initially.
The food hygiene side doesn't bother me. Having spent 20 years in the food industry and time in allergen-free or at least controlled environments it's not that difficult. I'm more concerned about parts of the building that the hygiene inspector may want faffing with (such as the downstairs storeroom - suspect my "lick of paint" approach won't be enough...)
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
Speaking of nonsense, grumbling away in the back of my mind I've started a file of particularly obnoxious oxymorons. It includes "perfect binding", "smart motorway", and "homo sapiens".
"Shanghai residents revolt over Zero Covid lockdown: Videos shows mobs looting stores for food after being confined to their homes for 22 days
Panic-buying turns into looting at supply points as residents fight for food Locals also seen breaking Covid barriers which stop them going between streets Severe lockdown has failed to curb Covid cases as Omicron prompts case record Shanghai had 23,600 new cases Friday - and official data likely understating it Infected babies and under-7s taken by docs and separated from their parents"
Rachel Wearmouth joining the Dan Hodges club, of thinking there’s a massive story in the Chancellor pointing out to the Cabinet, the cost to the UK economy of sanctions against Russia. It’s his job to do just that.
Someone really doesn’t like Sunak, that much is clear.
"Shanghai residents revolt over Zero Covid lockdown: Videos shows mobs looting stores for food after being confined to their homes for 22 days
Panic-buying turns into looting at supply points as residents fight for food Locals also seen breaking Covid barriers which stop them going between streets Severe lockdown has failed to curb Covid cases as Omicron prompts case record Shanghai had 23,600 new cases Friday - and official data likely understating it Infected babies and under-7s taken by docs and separated from their parents"
At a handshake distance. @BorisJohnson and @ZelenskyyUa walked through the center of Kyiv and talked to ordinary Kyivans. This is what democracy looks like. This is what courage looks like. This is what true friendship between peoples and between nations looks like.
Boris Johnson has many flaws which make him unsuitable for the job of Prime Minister, but when it comes to Ukraine he has been right on the money. I'm thankful he is PM not Corbyn.
Well, right on the money except for the way we have refused to allow refugees in like every other civilised nation in Europe has.
That bit has been a disgrace.
Taking refugees is a good thing, and yes we have been slow in that regard, although I suspect in the end we will take many as there are no limits being applied.
Right now though what Ukraine needs is weapons in order to kill Russians, and the UK has lead the way in that regard. Without those weapons Ukraine will cease to exist. It's inconceivable that Corbyn would have offered Ukraine similar help. We'd be offering sympathy whilst watching the destruction of Ukraine.
We dodged a bullet in 2019, and if we'd elected Corbyn it may have doomed Ukraine as well.
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias It’s totally possible that tons of senior Republican Party national security officials are all lying about this, but the reason many people think Trump was trying to destroy NATO is all these people who served in his administration say that’s what he was trying to do.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
'day after day' ?
Get over yourself. I am not making him a 'talking point', and neither do I mention him daily.
But take the context of the post that you evidently found it's usage so 'creepy' in. I went to Gulliver's Land. A children's theme park. it would be much more 'creepy' if I said I spent the day there *without* a child...
That's precisely what I'd want from a Chancellor if I was PM. I'd want full-fat war mongering from Defense, a big bucket of cold water from the Treasury.
I reckon this is typical Cabinet level debate, and the headline is a bit unfair.
How he made the point is rather significant. Pointing out the cost of anything, no issue. If he's arguing to do as little as possible because of a bit of economic damage, that's open to criticism, though he is free to have an opinion on it.
Highlights why it's important that what happens in Cabinet stays in Cabinet.
It's right that that perspective was vocalised, as long as it wasn't acted upon.
So we're back to why is this stuff leaking from Cabinet again?
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
'day after day' ?
Get over yourself. I am not making him a 'talking point', and neither do I mention him daily.
But take the context of the post that you evidently found it's usage so 'creepy' in. I went to Gulliver's Land. A children's theme park. it would be much more 'creepy' if I said I spent the day there *without* a child...
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
People cannot refer to their children? I'd say that is creepier. People post under their own names, or anonymously, some share details of their career, education, gender, others do not. I see no difference in mentioning having a child. I'm not even sure how one could be for or against it - are there other personal details you think people should not share in order to not be creepy?
As for twee and patronising, that's your own opinion and so fair enough though I don't agree, but what about twee and patronising equals creepy?
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias It’s totally possible that tons of senior Republican Party national security officials are all lying about this, but the reason many people think Trump was trying to destroy NATO is all these people who served in his administration say that’s what he was trying to do.
Entertainingly off-topic but we've decided we want to open a cafe. We own (one of) the former bank(s) in the village, there's a decent catchment, the previous cafe shut 6 years ago when the owners retired and is still talked about, and we've had a neb round various other similar establishments and looks like a good idea.
OK so I'm going to be busy (I'm about to be London-based half the week managing my soon to be former client's new UK business) but figure that as no rent is payable can afford to employ people. Have started building the business plan and the profit margins on some of these items are daft.
Just need to tackle the council's planning people. No physical alterations to the building needed inside or out, but its listed and the planning portal suggests even a change of use needs plans to show the non-work I plan on doing...
The plans will need to show the internal layout - number of seats, kitchen equipment including vent ducting etc - and any external signage attached to the building. You might also need to show you have places for people to park, depending on the precise location and how anal the council are about these things. The margins can seem daft, but there’s lots of wastage and the staff costs can add up. That said, with no rent it should be possible to make a decent business out of it. Good luck!
Thanks - am going to speak to the local planning office and get an understanding from them what they need. Ducting? We're golden. Food prep will be in the former comms room and there is an existing extraction fan. Simply replace with a modern one with no holes needing to be cut. Clearly they'll need to look at parking for the change of use application.
We're on the main road and there is on street parking and a layby across the road. We get an eclectic mix of people parking outside - from cars to HGVs to mahoosive Clarson-sized tractors. Suspect they will want to consider that as part of the change of use application, but as there was no parking when it was a bank and the new shop across the road (shop converted to house reconverted to shop) also has on street parking only.
What I am trying to get my head around is disabled access. There is an existing ramp to the front door, but the toilets are down a wheelchair unfriendly corridor having gone up two small steps. Realistically that isn't something that can be changed. I know plenty of existing premises with wholly inaccessible toilets so I know it isn't a barrier. However, the rear fire door is also up those two steps. Was open as a bank til 2016 so was in code back then, wonder what may have changed...
I'm just funding someone through the last parts of getting a health food cafe up and running.
Points (from English context):
1 - The food hygiene requirements are fearsome in terms of time to learn. 2 - Take a careful look at use classes. Down here this was loosened up recently, in the teeth of all kind of 'activist' organisations who wanted the opportunity to stop things they did not like. Has Scotland followed? 3 - There's lots of startup support around down here. But quite modest levels. 4 - Important to have commercial equipment for a lot of it. eg Dishwashers need to run at 82C for hygiene otherwise it is a multi-stage hand procedure. Domestics only run at 65-70C. 5 - Coffee machines are f*cking, f*cking expensive. Many thousands. A surprising amount of people love Galaxy Drinking Chocolate. 6 - Don't skimp on maintenance agreements for kit. 7 - I'd punt that you will need to budget 30-70k for investment in the cafe project by the time you get to opening time. We are at about 30-35k after some inexperience errors, but it is in our own gym so things like loos are in place and time has not been charged, and no need for Planning.
Thanks for the list. Regarding coffee machines and other mega expense items the business plan is to lease them. Why spend £10k on a machine you can rent for £20 a week? That way you can replace with newer technology / fads as they come along.
We're going to need to do some building work - various areas will need replaster/paint and carpet tiles replaced by vinyl. Thinking stainless steel for all the food prep area which isn't *that* expensive* and if we open with a more daytime coffee / cake / soup / sandwich type menu don't need vast equipment to produce food, at least not initially.
The food hygiene side doesn't bother me. Having spent 20 years in the food industry and time in allergen-free or at least controlled environments it's not that difficult. I'm more concerned about parts of the building that the hygiene inspector may want faffing with (such as the downstairs storeroom - suspect my "lick of paint" approach won't be enough...)
Good stuff - you sound well placed. My person has run a food establishment before (snooker club cafe) but is not up with the business side, and is mainly looking to generate a supplementary income to top up her state pension.
I doubt you will get a coffee machine for £20 a week, unless you are going for one of those 2 jug filter machines or similar rather than a bean to cup or manual one. I can get one of those free from my local artisan roaster if I buy X amount of coffee, but the clients will want it made fresh.
I'm actually going to order a decent domestic range from Appliances Direct this w/e.
(Scones seem to have a good profit margin round here.)
Entertainingly off-topic but we've decided we want to open a cafe. We own (one of) the former bank(s) in the village, there's a decent catchment, the previous cafe shut 6 years ago when the owners retired and is still talked about, and we've had a neb round various other similar establishments and looks like a good idea.
OK so I'm going to be busy (I'm about to be London-based half the week managing my soon to be former client's new UK business) but figure that as no rent is payable can afford to employ people. Have started building the business plan and the profit margins on some of these items are daft.
Just need to tackle the council's planning people. No physical alterations to the building needed inside or out, but its listed and the planning portal suggests even a change of use needs plans to show the non-work I plan on doing...
The plans will need to show the internal layout - number of seats, kitchen equipment including vent ducting etc - and any external signage attached to the building. You might also need to show you have places for people to park, depending on the precise location and how anal the council are about these things. The margins can seem daft, but there’s lots of wastage and the staff costs can add up. That said, with no rent it should be possible to make a decent business out of it. Good luck!
Thanks - am going to speak to the local planning office and get an understanding from them what they need. Ducting? We're golden. Food prep will be in the former comms room and there is an existing extraction fan. Simply replace with a modern one with no holes needing to be cut. Clearly they'll need to look at parking for the change of use application.
We're on the main road and there is on street parking and a layby across the road. We get an eclectic mix of people parking outside - from cars to HGVs to mahoosive Clarson-sized tractors. Suspect they will want to consider that as part of the change of use application, but as there was no parking when it was a bank and the new shop across the road (shop converted to house reconverted to shop) also has on street parking only.
What I am trying to get my head around is disabled access. There is an existing ramp to the front door, but the toilets are down a wheelchair unfriendly corridor having gone up two small steps. Realistically that isn't something that can be changed. I know plenty of existing premises with wholly inaccessible toilets so I know it isn't a barrier. However, the rear fire door is also up those two steps. Was open as a bank til 2016 so was in code back then, wonder what may have changed...
I'm just funding someone through the last parts of getting a health food cafe up and running.
Points (from English context):
1 - The food hygiene requirements are fearsome in terms of time to learn. This *has* to be right as the results are on the web and a poster in your establishment. 2 - Take a careful look at use classes. Down here this was loosened up recently, in the teeth of all kind of 'activist' organisations who wanted the opportunity to stop things they did not like. Has Scotland followed? 3 - There's lots of startup support around down here. But quite modest levels of grant. 4 - Important to have commercial equipment for a lot of it. eg Dishwashers need to run at 82C for hygiene otherwise it is a multi-stage hand procedure. Domestics only run at 65-70C. 5 - Coffee machines are f*cking, f*cking expensive. Many thousands. Plus a surprising amount of people love Galaxy Drinking Chocolate. 6 - Don't skimp on maintenance agreements for kit. 7 - I'd punt that you will need to budget 30-70k for investment in the cafe project by the time you get to opening time. We are at about 30-35k after some inexperience errors, but it is in our own gym so things like loos are in place and time has not been charged, and no need for Planning.
8 - Get ovens with catalytic cleaning, if you are not going for a full commercial steam oven. 9 - Since it is listed are there grants? 10 - Sweat your council for advice. Disabled access bod, but also the food inspection people, the conservation bod, and the Business Rates people. And talk to them early. Also consider staff requirements - eg do you need a staff lounge?
Again, appreciate the list. I'm going to approach council bods this week and see if we can draw up a list of the required hoops. That will then allow me to complete a proper business plan with set-up costs based on works needed as well as the ballpark food costs / revenue work already done.
If only the day job wasn't so intense at the moment. In that London for 2 days with the CEO this next week, hoping that we can finally nail down my contract. We're already ankle deep in recruitment for people to join this new business and its starting to feel very real now I am seeing serious contenders for management roles and getting excited by what they can bring to the team.
"Why do you want the distraction of a cafe now?" I have been asked? Because after the hell of 2020 and frankly a few years of depression / lethargy before that I'm back firing on all mental cylinders. The building is there and is largely ready (the actual cafe area having been refurbished from the old banking hall last year) - we just need to get started.
Oryx now has 2,702 confirmed losses of Russian kit, including 456 tanks.
That’s 15% of the tanks the Russian army claims to have. In six weeks.
The Ukranian kill claim is 700 tanks, 22% of Russian tanks.
If we are generous and say that Russia can field half the number of tanks they say they have (look at all the WWII relics and unserviceable crap we have seen), and they’ve lost 30-40% of their tanks already. Give it a couple of months more, and they won’t have any left!
Edit: Sorry, for some reason did not see the last para of your post. We are in agreement
It is in reality much higher than that. Russia committed 1200-1250 tanks, which we were told comprised some 70% of their operational (as opposed to inflated accounting) capability. So really we're talking about (700/1250)*0.7 = 39% or so.
Any of the numbers is stunning. But 40% in a few weeks!!!
Solovyov: “Zelensky is Ukraine’s last president because there won’t be any Ukraine after that.”
Can we give them everything? The army needed upgrading anyway and the Germans managed with broomsticks.
A Ukrainian acquaintance on UnTappd (social media for beer nerds) lamenting the loss of a cider orchard to the Terrorussians "...but Russia should not exist anymore".
Just realised my error. It's 2 years 0 months and 24 days max to the next election.
It isn't. Parliament can't last more than 5 years which is 17th December 2024. Allow 6 weeks or so of campaign after that and the GE could legally be in February 2025.
Politically that would be mad, but with this government, who knows.
yes
Sec 4 of the Act 'Automatic dissolution of Parliament after five years
If it has not been dissolved earlier, a Parliament dissolves at the beginning of the day that is the fifth anniversary of the day on which it first met'
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias It’s totally possible that tons of senior Republican Party national security officials are all lying about this, but the reason many people think Trump was trying to destroy NATO is all these people who served in his administration say that’s what he was trying to do.
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias It’s totally possible that tons of senior Republican Party national security officials are all lying about this, but the reason many people think Trump was trying to destroy NATO is all these people who served in his administration say that’s what he was trying to do.
On the other hand, Trump has no values and no standards. If backing NATO helps him get a second term, he will back NATO. He will find changing his mind remarkably easy, as he has no moral or ideological philosophy to stop him. It is about what position will help *him*.
In a way, Trump has not created the right-wing problems in America. He is a product of those problems, and the fact it created him meant he stoked them. If enough republicans start loving NATO, he will too.
Speaking of nonsense, grumbling away in the back of my mind I've started a file of particularly obnoxious oxymorons. It includes "perfect binding", "smart motorway", and "homo sapiens".
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
It's a fairly normal term for a child. What's your beef?
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
'day after day' ?
Get over yourself. I am not making him a 'talking point', and neither do I mention him daily.
But take the context of the post that you evidently found it's usage so 'creepy' in. I went to Gulliver's Land. A children's theme park. it would be much more 'creepy' if I said I spent the day there *without* a child...
good point
We’ve all done it, going to a children’s entertainment park without a child. I went to paultons park (it’s a hoot) once and then they had to rebrand it as pepper pig world. But the little ‘uns were very happy with the upgrade.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
I certainly don't realise it. In fact I'm somewhat at a loss as why it would be creepy in the context offered. Perhaps you could explain it - genuine request.
Twee and patronising, and I am against 7 [?] year old children being rolled out day after day as talking points on chat rooms, pseudonymously or not.
People cannot refer to their children? I'd say that is creepier. People post under their own names, or anonymously, some share details of their career, education, gender, others do not. I see no difference in mentioning having a child. I'm not even sure how one could be for or against it - are there other personal details you think people should not share in order to not be creepy?
As for twee and patronising, that's your own opinion and so fair enough though I don't agree, but what about twee and patronising equals creepy?
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Thanks
I'll let the little 'un know of your preference for the way I refer to him. In the meantime, do please and try procreating with yourself, way over there ------------------------->
Sorry. Perhaps you genuinely don't realise how creepy it is.
No to the language police.
I don't understand why that is "creepy". Any more than some people have a complain about "kids" or pupils vs students.
Though on the subject of personal size, there was an interesting piece with someone in 2 minds about whether finding a 'cure' for 'dwarfism' is desirable.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/60934176 "I'm worried that this drug could be the end of dwarfism altogether," says Ellie Simmonds in new BBC documentary, Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism?
Speaking of nonsense, grumbling away in the back of my mind I've started a file of particularly obnoxious oxymorons. It includes "perfect binding", "smart motorway", and "homo sapiens".
Rachel Wearmouth joining the Dan Hodges club, of thinking there’s a massive story in the Chancellor pointing out to the Cabinet, the cost to the UK economy of sanctions against Russia. It’s his job to do just that.
Someone really doesn’t like Sunak, that much is clear.
Battles between chancellors and PMs don't always end as predicted. The PM is badly damaged. It's all beneath the surface but whatever he had he's not going to get back. The Boris brand is broken. Sunak might not become PM but confidence in him among his colleagues is still pretty solid.
Too solid I would suggest for Johnson to fire him without dire consequences
Good stuff - you sound well placed. My person has run a food establishment before (snooker club cafe) but is not up with the business side, and is mainly looking to generate a supplementary income to top up her state pension.
I doubt you will get a coffee machine for £20 a week, unless you are going for one of those 2 jug filter machines or similar rather than a bean to cup or manual one. I can get one of those free from my local artisan roaster if I buy X amount of coffee, but the clients will want it made fresh.
I'm actually going to order a decent domestic range from Appliances Direct this w/e.
(Scones seem to have a good profit margin round here.)
We bought the former Bank of Scotland building - a 1795 bank with an 1860s extension. Which means a big U-shaped building with the house as the southern wing and all the first floor and the bank the middle and northern wing on the ground floor.
Bought the bank bit for cash and other than my consultancy business using the former manager's office (and refitting the banking hall for general office use) its just sat there. Other plans for flexi office space now dropped, what the community needs is a cafe and we have the perfect space for it.
I want to retain control of what happens in my building so setting up a business in there has always been the plan, albeit the cafe idea is new. Has got the potential to provide a long-term revenue stream regardless of anything else we do employment wise, so what the hell lets give it a whirl.
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
"Shanghai residents revolt over Zero Covid lockdown: Videos shows mobs looting stores for food after being confined to their homes for 22 days
Panic-buying turns into looting at supply points as residents fight for food Locals also seen breaking Covid barriers which stop them going between streets Severe lockdown has failed to curb Covid cases as Omicron prompts case record Shanghai had 23,600 new cases Friday - and official data likely understating it Infected babies and under-7s taken by docs and separated from their parents"
Speaking of nonsense, grumbling away in the back of my mind I've started a file of particularly obnoxious oxymorons. It includes "perfect binding", "smart motorway", and "homo sapiens".
Rubbish. There is an immense amount of 'smartness' in mobile phones. They are intensely complex devices on so many levels. The fact they're used by dummies, or for dumb purposes, does not make them dumb. They are a tool. If you use the tool in a dumb way, that's your fault, not the tools.
Just look at the way they're being used by both sides in Ukraine.
(I may think this way as Mrs J has designed circuitry that is in many, many smartphones...)
UK must rearm in preparation for losing US from the defence of europe.
Sunak is the main block as far as I can see.
There's lots of things the UK should do - defence, energy, housing, infrastructure, social care as examples.
But how many people are willing to reduce their consumption and/or work harder to pay for them.
The problem we have is that we nationally recognise the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Investing in infrastructure isn't cost, its investment yet hacks always ask "who will pay for it" instead of "how will we spend the returns on investment".
On defence specifically we appear to have forgotten just how many jobs the military - industrial complex provides. Rearming means an awful lot of high-tech jobs and companies and a whole load of exports we can chase. Its not like "spend more on defence" is Sunak burning £100bn for nothing in return.
When did we get into this stupid mindset where investment is "subsidy" at best and "waste" at worst? Thatcherism?
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
Is he just playing to a political base? When it served him to be pro-Western to gain money, power and influence, he did so. Not it suits him to do differently. Might he be a Pakistani Trump?
(I have very little idea about Pakistani politics, aside from what is in the Economist.)
At a handshake distance. @BorisJohnson and @ZelenskyyUa walked through the center of Kyiv and talked to ordinary Kyivans. This is what democracy looks like. This is what courage looks like. This is what true friendship between peoples and between nations looks like.
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
I love the way you said shekels.
Love it.
I love the way that Israel is unambiguously standing behind Ukraine with full thrusted support about the illegal occupation of her land by an aggressive neighbour
Dem 4 x 2s, eh?
Why do you think Total France trades or accounts in shekels?
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
I love the way you said shekels.
Love it.
I love the way that Israel is unambiguously standing behind Ukraine with full thrusted support about the illegal occupation of her land by an aggressive neighbour
Dem 4 x 2s, eh?
Why do you think Total France trades or accounts in shekels?
I don’t, you idiot. It was a turn of phrase.
Sure. Of the 164 currencies in the world, what were the odds of that one cropping up?
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
At a handshake distance. @BorisJohnson and @ZelenskyyUa walked through the center of Kyiv and talked to ordinary Kyivans. This is what democracy looks like. This is what courage looks like. This is what true friendship between peoples and between nations looks like.
I’m weirdly imagining an alternative history where Theresa May is still PM and she starts making shapes to Abba “the winner takes it all” or “Waterloo” and all the Ukrainians just bend their heads down sadly into their hands and cry inside.
UK must rearm in preparation for losing US from the defence of europe.
Sunak is the main block as far as I can see.
There's lots of things the UK should do - defence, energy, housing, infrastructure, social care as examples.
But how many people are willing to reduce their consumption and/or work harder to pay for them.
The problem we have is that we nationally recognise the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Investing in infrastructure isn't cost, its investment yet hacks always ask "who will pay for it" instead of "how will we spend the returns on investment".
On defence specifically we appear to have forgotten just how many jobs the military - industrial complex provides. Rearming means an awful lot of high-tech jobs and companies and a whole load of exports we can chase. Its not like "spend more on defence" is Sunak burning £100bn for nothing in return.
When did we get into this stupid mindset where investment is "subsidy" at best and "waste" at worst? Thatcherism?
There is no economy whatsoever if we don't defend our country and our allies against what is now obviously a clear and present danger from a fascist genocidal dictatorship.
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
Imran Khan turned up at my school too. We were scandalised by seeing him smoke in the car park between matches. Tut tut.
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
And enter text eg Boris or political betting and you get something like this
The mona lisa with a hat
Uncanny.
I won't post the images, but "SeanT with a flint dildo" produces little of relevance.
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
Noticed today that I’ve gone past a hundred miles and a quarter of a million steps walked this week. I clearly know how to relax on holiday! The walk today was really tough; I’ve never walked so slowly. In the middle of it I went just over eight miles in six hours, but I did go over a thousand metres up and down too.
Meh. I averaged 120 miles a week over a year.
Hope you're enjoying it, and thanks for the photos. If it's any consolation, I spent the day with the little 'un at Gulliver's Land. I think you got the better deal...
If you feel the need to refer to your son, feel very free indeed to use the words "my son." It would crank the ickiness factor way, way down
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
I love the way you said shekels.
Love it.
I love the way that Israel is unambiguously standing behind Ukraine with full thrusted support about the illegal occupation of her land by an aggressive neighbour
Dem 4 x 2s, eh?
Why do you think Total France trades or accounts in shekels?
I don’t, you idiot. It was a turn of phrase.
It’s not a “turn of phrase” at all.
It’s a pointed use of an anti-Semitic trope that taking “shekels” is linked to the evil joos and their worship of money.
As I said - you could have written “euros” or “roubles” as they are the relevant currencies to the point you were making.
I fear, for several reasons, that the rising confrontation in the east is going to be hard for the Ukrainians.
I am in agreement. It's going to be very hard for them. But it will also be hard for the Russians. It might be a case where the decisions by individual commanders on the ground swing the fortunes of the war, whatever equipment and money they have access to.
So far, the Ukrainians have been winning that particular battle.
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
Imran Khan has always been a wrong 'un, he went to the dump known as the University of Oxford, read PPE no less.
The University of Cambridge did the right thing in rejecting Imran Khan, they only choose the best Pakistani heritage people.
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
Crikey, you left out “big nosed Total executives” and “pulling puppet strings” and a reference to using Rothschild’s bank to process the shekels.
Could have just written Euros or Roubles if you weren’t making some point but there you go.
I genuinely wasn’t… dollars and euros didn’t seem right as dollars were referenced in the original tweet and euros is a dull word and shekels was the currency I came up with in the moment. Scans better than Lira as well.
The point I was making is that French business (I think Total may have corrected its stance under pressure?) have behaved badly in this.
Horrible man. Probably to be replaced by someone else horrible, but we'll see.
WTF happened with Imran Khan? He used to be an absolute player. I don’t know whether it was Jemima Goldsmith who messed him up but I remember meeting him at a school cricket match when he was squiring Kristiane Bakker who was one of the hottest MTV presenters. He was very amusing and fun and we had many beers etc. did he “find god” or is he just a weird ass-hat?
Imran Khan has always been a wrong 'un, he went to the dump known as the University of Oxford, read PPE no less.
The University of Cambridge did the right thing in rejecting Imran Khan, they only choose the best Pakistani heritage people.
Do you personally know of any exceptions to that rule?
I fear, for several reasons, that the rising confrontation in the east is going to be hard for the Ukrainians.
I am in agreement. It's going to be very hard for them. But it will also be hard for the Russians. It might be a case where the decisions by individual commanders on the ground swing the fortunes of the war, whatever equipment and money they have access to.
So far, the Ukrainians have been winning that particular battle.
Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko · 3h Spring raining in Kyiv. Mud season is here, and we’re waiting for blossoming vegetation across the country, another factor helping Ukraine in defensive warfare.
UK must rearm in preparation for losing US from the defence of europe.
Sunak is the main block as far as I can see.
There's lots of things the UK should do - defence, energy, housing, infrastructure, social care as examples.
But how many people are willing to reduce their consumption and/or work harder to pay for them.
The problem we have is that we nationally recognise the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Investing in infrastructure isn't cost, its investment yet hacks always ask "who will pay for it" instead of "how will we spend the returns on investment".
On defence specifically we appear to have forgotten just how many jobs the military - industrial complex provides. Rearming means an awful lot of high-tech jobs and companies and a whole load of exports we can chase. Its not like "spend more on defence" is Sunak burning £100bn for nothing in return.
When did we get into this stupid mindset where investment is "subsidy" at best and "waste" at worst? Thatcherism?
For sure good investment lead to a return.
But not all investments are good.
And even fewer of what politicians call investments.
And enter text eg Boris or political betting and you get something like this
The mona lisa with a hat
Uncanny.
I won't post the images, but "SeanT with a flint dildo" produces little of relevance.
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
If you are using mini-Dall-e, which you must be - as only 400 people in the world have access to Dall-e 2, then know this
1. Mini-Dall-e is a ridiculous fraction of the reality, like basing your opinion of American comedy on a single mediocre episode of Friends
2. Dall-e is explicitly designed to be near-useless with human faces. This is written into its code. Because the creators are shit-scared of its ability to do deepfakes (Boris fucking a wasp, say) or horrible Nazi porn (Boris in an SS uniform fucking a wasp that looks like Meghan Markle) so they have basically removed all functionality as regards real faces and, mostly, human bodies too
This is why, inter Alia, all the best stuff produced so far involves toys and animals and cartoon characters or total fantasy. These have no in built restrictions
UK must rearm in preparation for losing US from the defence of europe.
Sunak is the main block as far as I can see.
There's lots of things the UK should do - defence, energy, housing, infrastructure, social care as examples.
But how many people are willing to reduce their consumption and/or work harder to pay for them.
The problem we have is that we nationally recognise the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Investing in infrastructure isn't cost, its investment yet hacks always ask "who will pay for it" instead of "how will we spend the returns on investment".
On defence specifically we appear to have forgotten just how many jobs the military - industrial complex provides. Rearming means an awful lot of high-tech jobs and companies and a whole load of exports we can chase. Its not like "spend more on defence" is Sunak burning £100bn for nothing in return.
When did we get into this stupid mindset where investment is "subsidy" at best and "waste" at worst? Thatcherism?
This is one reason for the USSRs collapse. They spent too much on their military. It turns out there are much more productive things to invest in than blowing things up or employing lots of younglings to sit in a barracks.
They also found that the arms industry started wagging the country. The more wealth it sucked up the more it needed.
I'd start a facsimile of the old Bell Labs/IBM research departments. Would at least be interesting to see what they come up with.
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
Crikey, you left out “big nosed Total executives” and “pulling puppet strings” and a reference to using Rothschild’s bank to process the shekels.
Could have just written Euros or Roubles if you weren’t making some point but there you go.
I genuinely wasn’t… dollars and euros didn’t seem right as dollars were referenced in the original tweet and euros is a dull word and shekels was the currency I came up with in the moment. Scans better than Lira as well.
The point I was making is that French business (I think Total may have corrected its stance under pressure?) have behaved badly in this.
Captain Alfred Dreyfus thanks you for your clarification.
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Boris has had a terrific week: lauded as the saviour of Ukraine whilst brilliantly portraying rival Rishi as the ultimate Citizen of Nowhere and cosmopolitan dandy, surely the ultimate insult amongst the Tory base. Boris is lord of all he surveys.
Mm. He now has to fulfil his promises. For instance, are the AFVs the Mastiffs we've already heard about? And what's the British Army going to do for rides?
NEW: Total UK aid to Ukraine announced today and yesterday;
• 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missiles • $130m worth of Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes • $500 million in World Bank https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1512842016920637444
I ham reluctant to quibble over the government’s support for Ukraine.
It’s not complicated. It’s entirely possible fully to support them on this, and to be determined to vote to kick them out at the next election.
Nice of Total UK to help… shame that Total France is still grubbing for shekels in Russia
I love the way you said shekels.
Love it.
I love the way that Israel is unambiguously standing behind Ukraine with full thrusted support about the illegal occupation of her land by an aggressive neighbour
Dem 4 x 2s, eh?
Why do you think Total France trades or accounts in shekels?
I don’t, you idiot. It was a turn of phrase.
It’s not a “turn of phrase” at all.
It’s a pointed use of an anti-Semitic trope that taking “shekels” is linked to the evil joos and their worship of money.
As I said - you could have written “euros” or “roubles” as they are the relevant currencies to the point you were making.
Uh, this is complete nonsense. The shekel in its current form has only existed since 1980 (technically 1986, but that was effectively an adjustment to remove some zeros from the hyperinflated older version of the same currency). Before that, the Israeli currency was the Israeli Pound, and the next most recent version of an actual Shekel dates to around 2000 years ago, circa the Maccabee revolt.
It is, to the best of my knowledge, untrue to state that there was ever been meaningful linkage between "shekels" and antisemitism. Accusations to Jewish money manipulation/worship would typically reference gold, if anything. Use of shekels as a general - and innocuous - term for money is perfectly valid.
And enter text eg Boris or political betting and you get something like this
The mona lisa with a hat
Uncanny.
I won't post the images, but "SeanT with a flint dildo" produces little of relevance.
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
If you are using mini-Dall-e, which you must be - as only 400 people in the world have access to Dall-e 2, then know this
1. Mini-Dall-e is a ridiculous fraction of the reality, like basing your opinion of American comedy on a single mediocre episode of Friends
2. Dall-e is explicitly designed to be near-useless with human faces. This is written into its code. Because the creators are shit-scared of its ability to do deepfakes (Boris fucking a wasp, say) or horrible Nazi porn (Boris in an SS uniform fucking a wasp that looks like Meghan Markle) so they have basically removed all functionality as regards real faces and, mostly, human bodies too
This is why, inter Alia, all the best stuff produced so far involves toys and animals and cartoon characters or total fantasy. These have no in built restrictions
There. Now you are educated
If I have Boris/Wasp slash nightmares tonight, I'm holding you responsible.
(But yes. The jobs being automated out of existence stuff... as a society, we have experience of that. Probably insufficient, but we have insight into what to do. But the deepfake stuff, the idea that we can't trust the evidence of our eyes... that's scary. Don't have nightmares, everyone.)
And enter text eg Boris or political betting and you get something like this
The mona lisa with a hat
Uncanny.
I won't post the images, but "SeanT with a flint dildo" produces little of relevance.
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
If you are using mini-Dall-e, which you must be - as only 400 people in the world have access to Dall-e 2, then know this
1. Mini-Dall-e is a ridiculous fraction of the reality, like basing your opinion of American comedy on a single mediocre episode of Friends
2. Dall-e is explicitly designed to be near-useless with human faces. This is written into its code. Because the creators are shit-scared of its ability to do deepfakes (Boris fucking a wasp, say) or horrible Nazi porn (Boris in an SS uniform fucking a wasp that looks like Meghan Markle) so they have basically removed all functionality as regards real faces and, mostly, human bodies too
This is why, inter Alia, all the best stuff produced so far involves toys and animals and cartoon characters or total fantasy. These have no in built restrictions
There. Now you are educated
That misses my point. As in my point is at the full-stop is at the end of this sentence, whereas your point is lazing merrily around somewhere in the Oort Cloud.
Knowing what you don't know, and acknowledging that, is one of the signs of intelligence. *every* AI I have come across (and apparently this is true amongst those used by experts) tries desperately to find 'answers' to nonsensical questions. There is no ignorance in saying "What do you mean?" The ignorance is in pretending you know.
In other words, a sign of intelligence is knowing the bounds of your own knowledge.
And enter text eg Boris or political betting and you get something like this
The mona lisa with a hat
Uncanny.
I won't post the images, but "SeanT with a flint dildo" produces little of relevance.
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
If you are using mini-Dall-e, which you must be - as only 400 people in the world have access to Dall-e 2, then know this
1. Mini-Dall-e is a ridiculous fraction of the reality, like basing your opinion of American comedy on a single mediocre episode of Friends
2. Dall-e is explicitly designed to be near-useless with human faces. This is written into its code. Because the creators are shit-scared of its ability to do deepfakes (Boris fucking a wasp, say) or horrible Nazi porn (Boris in an SS uniform fucking a wasp that looks like Meghan Markle) so they have basically removed all functionality as regards real faces and, mostly, human bodies too
This is why, inter Alia, all the best stuff produced so far involves toys and animals and cartoon characters or total fantasy. These have no in built restrictions
There. Now you are educated
If I have Boris/Wasp slash nightmares tonight, I'm holding you responsible.
(But yes. The jobs being automated out of existence stuff... as a society, we have experience of that. Probably insufficient, but we have insight into what to do. But the deepfake stuff, the idea that we can't trust the evidence of our eyes... that's scary. Don't have nightmares, everyone.)
Yep, It’s a real scary issue
And when you see what Dall-e-2 can do with raccoons and chimps and cuddly dogs - totally convincing images that look real, yet are entirely contrived and unreal - then the idea you could apply this to actual humans: deepfakes, porn, atrocity videos, politicians, celebs, pedo stuff, Zelenskyy, yikes
That’s why this tech is being rigidly policed, to an extraordinary extent
It is the nuclear bomb of AI, it is so powerful it must - from the start - be ringfenced and regulated very fiercely
Comments
Panic-buying turns into looting at supply points as residents fight for food
Locals also seen breaking Covid barriers which stop them going between streets
Severe lockdown has failed to curb Covid cases as Omicron prompts case record
Shanghai had 23,600 new cases Friday - and official data likely understating it
Infected babies and under-7s taken by docs and separated from their parents"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10702811/Shanghai-residents-revolt-Zero-Covid-lockdown-Videos-shows-mobs-looting-stores-urgent-food.html
The Ukranian kill claim is 700 tanks, 22% of Russian tanks.
If we are generous and say that Russia can field half the number of tanks they say they have (look at all the WWII relics and unserviceable crap we have seen), and they’ve lost 30-40% of their tanks already. Give it a couple of months more, and they won’t have any left!
Hope I got that right. Boris Johnson should say it. For himself and the free world.
Don't have to like or trust BJ overmuch, to cheer the citizens and defenders of free Kyiv by cheering him this day.
To paraphrase, the prejudices of a political hack aren't worth a hill of beans in this crazy world.
We're going to need to do some building work - various areas will need replaster/paint and carpet tiles replaced by vinyl. Thinking stainless steel for all the food prep area which isn't *that* expensive* and if we open with a more daytime coffee / cake / soup / sandwich type menu don't need vast equipment to produce food, at least not initially.
The food hygiene side doesn't bother me. Having spent 20 years in the food industry and time in allergen-free or at least controlled environments it's not that difficult. I'm more concerned about parts of the building that the hygiene inspector may want faffing with (such as the downstairs storeroom - suspect my "lick of paint" approach won't be enough...)
Russia: Ukraine
China: Covid
America: America
https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/1512863971916718080
Right now though what Ukraine needs is weapons in order to kill Russians, and the UK has lead the way in that regard. Without those weapons Ukraine will cease to exist. It's inconceivable that Corbyn would have offered Ukraine similar help. We'd be offering sympathy whilst watching the destruction of Ukraine.
We dodged a bullet in 2019, and if we'd elected Corbyn it may have doomed Ukraine as well.
Uncanny.
Matthew Yglesias
@mattyglesias
It’s totally possible that tons of senior Republican Party national security officials are all lying about this, but the reason many people think Trump was trying to destroy NATO is all these people who served in his administration say that’s what he was trying to do.
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1512796197702049793
Get over yourself. I am not making him a 'talking point', and neither do I mention him daily.
But take the context of the post that you evidently found it's usage so 'creepy' in. I went to Gulliver's Land. A children's theme park. it would be much more 'creepy' if I said I spent the day there *without* a child...
It's right that that perspective was vocalised, as long as it wasn't acted upon.
So we're back to why is this stuff leaking from Cabinet again?
As for twee and patronising, that's your own opinion and so fair enough though I don't agree, but what about twee and patronising equals creepy?
Most of all the one led by GDR Merkel.
I doubt you will get a coffee machine for £20 a week, unless you are going for one of those 2 jug filter machines or similar rather than a bean to cup or manual one. I can get one of those free from my local artisan roaster if I buy X amount of coffee, but the clients will want it made fresh.
I'm actually going to order a decent domestic range from Appliances Direct this w/e.
(Scones seem to have a good profit margin round here.)
If only the day job wasn't so intense at the moment. In that London for 2 days with the CEO this next week, hoping that we can finally nail down my contract. We're already ankle deep in recruitment for people to join this new business and its starting to feel very real now I am seeing serious contenders for management roles and getting excited by what they can bring to the team.
"Why do you want the distraction of a cafe now?" I have been asked? Because after the hell of 2020 and frankly a few years of depression / lethargy before that I'm back firing on all mental cylinders. The building is there and is largely ready (the actual cafe area having been refurbished from the old banking hall last year) - we just need to get started.
It is in reality much higher than that. Russia committed 1200-1250 tanks, which we were told comprised some 70% of their operational (as opposed to inflated accounting) capability. So really we're talking about (700/1250)*0.7 = 39% or so.
Any of the numbers is stunning. But 40% in a few weeks!!!
Sunak is the main block as far as I can see.
Sec 4 of the Act
'Automatic dissolution of Parliament after five years
If it has not been dissolved earlier, a Parliament dissolves at the beginning
of the day that is the fifth anniversary of the day on which it first met'
In a way, Trump has not created the right-wing problems in America. He is a product of those problems, and the fact it created him meant he stoked them. If enough republicans start loving NATO, he will too.
Does town planning quality?
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-everybody-think-jfk-said-im-jelly-donut-180963779/
Though on the subject of personal size, there was an interesting piece with someone in 2 minds about whether finding a 'cure' for 'dwarfism' is desirable.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/60934176
"I'm worried that this drug could be the end of dwarfism altogether," says Ellie Simmonds in new BBC documentary, Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism?
As did Assad.
But how many people are willing to reduce their consumption and/or work harder to pay for them.
I salute such restraint.
Too solid I would suggest for Johnson to fire him without dire consequences
Bought the bank bit for cash and other than my consultancy business using the former manager's office (and refitting the banking hall for general office use) its just sat there. Other plans for flexi office space now dropped, what the community needs is a cafe and we have the perfect space for it.
I want to retain control of what happens in my building so setting up a business in there has always been the plan, albeit the cafe idea is new. Has got the potential to provide a long-term revenue stream regardless of anything else we do employment wise, so what the hell lets give it a whirl.
Bastards.
Just look at the way they're being used by both sides in Ukraine.
(I may think this way as Mrs J has designed circuitry that is in many, many smartphones...)
On defence specifically we appear to have forgotten just how many jobs the military - industrial complex provides. Rearming means an awful lot of high-tech jobs and companies and a whole load of exports we can chase. Its not like "spend more on defence" is Sunak burning £100bn for nothing in return.
When did we get into this stupid mindset where investment is "subsidy" at best and "waste" at worst? Thatcherism?
(I have very little idea about Pakistani politics, aside from what is in the Economist.)
He will want all channels to be Fox News.
Expect moves early when he returns to WH.
Doesn't he claim never to have drunk alcohol ?
Which shows an issues with these so-called AI's. An 'intelligence' would know when it doesn't know, and say: "I'm sorry, what's a SeanT?" We know the many identities of SeanT; the AI does not. Instead it produces garbage output.
Don't suppose the job gets many more stressful days!
It’s a pointed use of an anti-Semitic trope that taking “shekels” is linked to the evil joos and their worship of money.
As I said - you could have written “euros” or “roubles” as they are the relevant currencies to the point you were making.
So far, the Ukrainians have been winning that particular battle.
The University of Cambridge did the right thing in rejecting Imran Khan, they only choose the best Pakistani heritage people.
The point I was making is that French business (I think Total may have corrected its stance under pressure?) have behaved badly in this.
Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦
@IAPonomarenko
·
3h
Spring raining in Kyiv.
Mud season is here, and we’re waiting for blossoming vegetation across the country, another factor helping Ukraine in defensive warfare.
But not all investments are good.
And even fewer of what politicians call investments.
1. Mini-Dall-e is a ridiculous fraction of the reality, like basing your opinion of American comedy on a single mediocre episode of Friends
2. Dall-e is explicitly designed to be near-useless with human faces. This is written into its code. Because the creators are shit-scared of its ability to do deepfakes (Boris fucking a wasp, say) or horrible Nazi porn (Boris in an SS uniform fucking a wasp that looks like Meghan Markle) so they have basically removed all functionality as regards real faces and, mostly, human bodies too
This is why, inter Alia, all the best stuff produced so far involves toys and animals and cartoon characters or total fantasy. These have no in built restrictions
There. Now you are educated
They also found that the arms industry started wagging the country. The more wealth it sucked up the more it needed.
I'd start a facsimile of the old Bell Labs/IBM research departments. Would at least be interesting to see what they come up with.
Here is how the New York Times reported on Trump Jr's plan to overturn the election.
https://twitter.com/JamesFallows/status/1512841222699859969
Just look at that passive voice. That takes skill.
"Essex counsellor driving tank up A1"
It is, to the best of my knowledge, untrue to state that there was ever been meaningful linkage between "shekels" and antisemitism. Accusations to Jewish money manipulation/worship would typically reference gold, if anything. Use of shekels as a general - and innocuous - term for money is perfectly valid.
(But yes. The jobs being automated out of existence stuff... as a society, we have experience of that. Probably insufficient, but we have insight into what to do. But the deepfake stuff, the idea that we can't trust the evidence of our eyes... that's scary. Don't have nightmares, everyone.)
Knowing what you don't know, and acknowledging that, is one of the signs of intelligence. *every* AI I have come across (and apparently this is true amongst those used by experts) tries desperately to find 'answers' to nonsensical questions. There is no ignorance in saying "What do you mean?" The ignorance is in pretending you know.
In other words, a sign of intelligence is knowing the bounds of your own knowledge.
They all end up looking like Francis Bacon portraits. It essentially now allowed (as is so much else)
For example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asma_al-Assad
She was London born, raised and educated, so I think it's fair to say 'western'. She only moved to Syria and married Assad aged 25.
And when you see what Dall-e-2 can do with raccoons and chimps and cuddly dogs - totally convincing images that look real, yet are entirely contrived and unreal - then the idea you could apply this to actual humans: deepfakes, porn, atrocity videos, politicians, celebs, pedo stuff, Zelenskyy, yikes
That’s why this tech is being rigidly policed, to an extraordinary extent
It is the nuclear bomb of AI, it is so powerful it must - from the start - be ringfenced and regulated very fiercely