Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
I've seen bits - it's my wife's current breastfeeding TV ( - she normally watches something that doesn't appeal to me at thos times, while I'm getting the other two to bed; she might have to watch it again with me!).
Looks good though and every time I see Sewel I wonder why he isn't in more stuff. Caught the bit where he forces the police protection to give him a lift in episode 1 The lady from the Americans is aso very good, but I don't recall her name.
re @MikeSmithson sorry to hear that - spines are tricky as fuck to sort as I'm sure you will have been told umpteen times.
As for private of bloody course you are going to go private. Trusting the NHS with something like that would be madness.
Individuals might or might not say they do; institutionally of course they would say they do but actually the NHS doesn't care at all about health outcomes. It is a machine that feeds people in at one end and watches them emerge at the other. Whether you are successful or not is a lottery. I think the odds are not completely mad, let's say - sticks finger in air - you have an 80-85% chance of success. That is far below your chances going private.
That is as helpful as saying that private hospitals are only concerned about profits, and guessing outcomes rather begs the question. Almost all private doctors in this country also work for the NHS. It's not as if one group has bigger brains than the other lot.
Good luck OGH. As you know (we discussed it earlier) my wife is in the same situation as you and is waiting for an operation on the NHS, although she does not seem as incapacitated as yourself. She is tossing up whether to go private or not which depends upon the wait.
Re the discussion on private or NHS my wife (a doctor) will always choose the NHS unless it is either not urgent or the wait is too long. She did so for the MRI scan for her back because of the delay. Otherwise she considers the NHS safer. I don't know if things have changed but if stuff goes perashaped quickly she reckons you are far better off in an NHS hospital.
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
I wonder how many other scientists we can get in the car? Thinking caps on.
Are you Kepler ? I'd suggest asking Thomas Callister Hales.
British evacuation operation under way in Khartoum. Initially room for 2,000 nationals on a number of military flights, also looking into a naval evacuation from Port Sudan, with two vessels in the area.
Much media bloviating yesterday about why hadn't the government done anything. Seems no-one is allowed time to plan stuff nowadays. Far better to just wing it.
Our media is pathetic.
Or our planning is pathetic. Why does the Foreign Office not have plans for evacuations from every potential hotspot?
Surely that's David Miliband's job?
Remind me which one of the Thunderbirds he pilots again?
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
I just finished it. What starts out quite soapy turns into a clever, gripping political drama by the end. Plenty of twists. Some startling insights
It’s also as much about British politics as it is about American. Which is surprising and refreshing
I’m looking forward to season 2. Definitely worth a go
re @MikeSmithson sorry to hear that - spines are tricky as fuck to sort as I'm sure you will have been told umpteen times.
As for private of bloody course you are going to go private. Trusting the NHS with something like that would be madness.
Individuals might or might not say they do; institutionally of course they would say they do but actually the NHS doesn't care at all about health outcomes. It is a machine that feeds people in at one end and watches them emerge at the other. Whether you are successful or not is a lottery. I think the odds are not completely mad, let's say - sticks finger in air - you have an 80-85% chance of success. That is far below your chances going private.
That is as helpful as saying that private hospitals are only concerned about profits, and guessing outcomes rather begs the question. Almost all private doctors in this country also work for the NHS. It's not as if one group has bigger brains than the other lot.
Good luck OGH. As you know (we discussed it earlier) my wife is in the same situation as you and is waiting for an operation on the NHS, although she does not seem as incapacitated as yourself. She is tossing up whether to go private or not which depends upon the wait.
Re the discussion on private or NHS my wife (a doctor) will always choose the NHS unless it is either not urgent or the wait is too long. She did so for the MRI scan for her back because of the delay. Otherwise she considers the NHS safer. I don't know if things have changed but if stuff goes perashaped quickly she reckons you are far better off in an NHS hospital.
Didn’t that discussion arise because a lot of the private hospitals are (were) quite small, and don’t have the same level of ICU and specialists available in an emergency? In a big district general hospital, you can most likely get a consultant in any specialism to the patient within a few minutes, because they’re all practicing on site.
re @MikeSmithson sorry to hear that - spines are tricky as fuck to sort as I'm sure you will have been told umpteen times.
As for private of bloody course you are going to go private. Trusting the NHS with something like that would be madness.
Individuals might or might not say they do; institutionally of course they would say they do but actually the NHS doesn't care at all about health outcomes. It is a machine that feeds people in at one end and watches them emerge at the other. Whether you are successful or not is a lottery. I think the odds are not completely mad, let's say - sticks finger in air - you have an 80-85% chance of success. That is far below your chances going private.
That is as helpful as saying that private hospitals are only concerned about profits, and guessing outcomes rather begs the question. Almost all private doctors in this country also work for the NHS. It's not as if one group has bigger brains than the other lot.
Good luck OGH. As you know (we discussed it earlier) my wife is in the same situation as you and is waiting for an operation on the NHS, although she does not seem as incapacitated as yourself. She is tossing up whether to go private or not which depends upon the wait.
Re the discussion on private or NHS my wife (a doctor) will always choose the NHS unless it is either not urgent or the wait is too long. She did so for the MRI scan for her back because of the delay. Otherwise she considers the NHS safer. I don't know if things have changed but if stuff goes perashaped quickly she reckons you are far better off in an NHS hospital.
re @MikeSmithson sorry to hear that - spines are tricky as fuck to sort as I'm sure you will have been told umpteen times.
As for private of bloody course you are going to go private. Trusting the NHS with something like that would be madness.
Individuals might or might not say they do; institutionally of course they would say they do but actually the NHS doesn't care at all about health outcomes. It is a machine that feeds people in at one end and watches them emerge at the other. Whether you are successful or not is a lottery. I think the odds are not completely mad, let's say - sticks finger in air - you have an 80-85% chance of success. That is far below your chances going private.
That is as helpful as saying that private hospitals are only concerned about profits, and guessing outcomes rather begs the question. Almost all private doctors in this country also work for the NHS. It's not as if one group has bigger brains than the other lot.
And there is the nub of the problem. Those deific doctors that can do no wrong in the eyes of the public (and you @DecrepiterJohnL IIRC), are playing one system off against the other for personal gain, whilst the more junior ones, who all have aspirations to be raking it in like the seniors, want to gull the very gullible public into believing they are poorly compensated.
British evacuation operation under way in Khartoum. Initially room for 2,000 nationals on a number of military flights, also looking into a naval evacuation from Port Sudan, with two vessels in the area.
Much media bloviating yesterday about why hadn't the government done anything. Seems no-one is allowed time to plan stuff nowadays. Far better to just wing it.
Our media is pathetic.
Or our planning is pathetic. Why does the Foreign Office not have plans for evacuations from every potential hotspot?
Surely that's David Miliband's job?
Remind me which one of the Thunderbirds he pilots again?
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I got the feeling that was dropped in after the bulk of it had already been written. Having Ukraine happen in the fictional universe doesn't quite make sense with respect to the motivations of the PM*.
The short season thing is increasingly popular with the streamers, I think. They don't have to commit as much budget to the expensive to make series. If it's popular, season two can follow quickly; if not...
*Though I could be wrong, as there's considerable resorting to fridge logic elsewhere.
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
Really sorry to hear that, Mike. The NHS will certainly be a key focus of the next election - above and beyond the "normal" rhetoric of it being in bad shape, more and more people know of those close to them who are experiencing the issues.
In a subsection of it, CAMHS is in near-collapse. Getting a child diagnosed and obtaining help takes months or even years. SEND provision is hard to obtain. And quite a few people are impacted by this or related to those who are badly impacted by this. The helplessness and rage you feel as a parent when this happens can't be overstated.
Yes - my eldest (9yo) is clearly to any reasonably informed observer on the spectrum; tics, squeals, fear of noises etc. etc. yet getting a diagnosis (we still don’t have one!) has taken literally years. Concerns first raised when he was six; the pandemic seemed to basically stop everything, and now here we are, waiting another three months to get phone appointment.
Really this is to make sure he gets the support he needs in school, but in the government’s less-than-perfect reforms to SEN, schools have far less discretion in self-diagnosing support via School Action/SA+ - he needs the EHC which, entirely predictably as an inter-agency enterprise, is a truly Homeric journey through a variety of inexplicable and contradictory nonsense. Another bit of Gove/Classic Dom legacy which has led to unnecessary anguish for thousands.
I went private for someone close to me. To get a ASD diagnosis
Cost £2000+. Insane
But also worth it, given that the alternative was, literally, years of waiting for CAMHS and maybe nothing at the end. I do not regret a penny. Absolutely worth it and has improved this person’s life, and self-awareness, immeasurably
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
I wonder how many other scientists we can get in the car? Thinking caps on.
Are you Kepler ? I'd suggest asking Thomas Callister Hales.
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I am the shallowest person in the world but I like it that everyone is well dressed. The chief of station guy is a dude, and even Kate has her own style (which crops up in the narrative from time to time).
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
Actually that bit could make sense. You're assuming it was combat ready.
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I got the feeling that was dropped in after the bulk of it had already been written. Having Ukraine happen in the fictional universe doesn't quite make sense with respect to the motivations of the PM*.
The short season thing is increasingly popular with the streamers, I think. They don't have to commit as much budget to the expensive to make series. If it's popular, season two can follow quickly; if not...
*Though I could be wrong, as there's considerable resorting to fridge logic elsewhere.
I noticed that it was clearly filmed in the hot summer drought of 2022. The Chilterns are burned brown
re @MikeSmithson sorry to hear that - spines are tricky as fuck to sort as I'm sure you will have been told umpteen times.
As for private of bloody course you are going to go private. Trusting the NHS with something like that would be madness.
Individuals might or might not say they do; institutionally of course they would say they do but actually the NHS doesn't care at all about health outcomes. It is a machine that feeds people in at one end and watches them emerge at the other. Whether you are successful or not is a lottery. I think the odds are not completely mad, let's say - sticks finger in air - you have an 80-85% chance of success. That is far below your chances going private.
That is as helpful as saying that private hospitals are only concerned about profits, and guessing outcomes rather begs the question. Almost all private doctors in this country also work for the NHS. It's not as if one group has bigger brains than the other lot.
Good luck OGH. As you know (we discussed it earlier) my wife is in the same situation as you and is waiting for an operation on the NHS, although she does not seem as incapacitated as yourself. She is tossing up whether to go private or not which depends upon the wait.
Re the discussion on private or NHS my wife (a doctor) will always choose the NHS unless it is either not urgent or the wait is too long. She did so for the MRI scan for her back because of the delay. Otherwise she considers the NHS safer. I don't know if things have changed but if stuff goes perashaped quickly she reckons you are far better off in an NHS hospital.
The big difference, in my experience anyway, is in post-operation care. Yes, one can get operated upon faster ‘outside’ but, certainly in my case, post operative rehabilitation is almost as important as the actual operation. That’s one of the glitches I’ve experienced, but now I’m getting what so appears to be excellent physio support. Incidentally, the local GP has been very good; attentive and supportive.
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I am the shallowest person in the world but I like it that everyone is well dressed. The chief of station guy is a dude, and even Kate has her own style (which crops up in the narrative from time to time).
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
Then Darwin turned up and things really started to evolve.
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I am the shallowest person in the world but I like it that everyone is well dressed. The chief of station guy is a dude, and even Kate has her own style (which crops up in the narrative from time to time).
Anyone watching The Diplomat (no spoilers, obvs - I'm on ep.5).
About a situation in Iran (amongst other things) and all this talk about evacuating people from Sudan has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction and I am reading news from Sudan and applying The Diplomat's backstories to it.
Done the whole thing.
Part of its skilfulness is the way it succesfully interweaves contemporary events, places and characters (their characteristics if not names) into its fabric. Quite unsettling if engrossing.
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
I was quite surprised by the knowledgeable references to the ongoing Ukraine War. Made it feel like it was made yesterday
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
I got the feeling that was dropped in after the bulk of it had already been written. Having Ukraine happen in the fictional universe doesn't quite make sense with respect to the motivations of the PM*.
The short season thing is increasingly popular with the streamers, I think. They don't have to commit as much budget to the expensive to make series. If it's popular, season two can follow quickly; if not...
*Though I could be wrong, as there's considerable resorting to fridge logic elsewhere.
I noticed that it was clearly filmed in the hot summer drought of 2022. The Chilterns are burned brown
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
I wonder how many other scientists we can get in the car? Thinking caps on.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
So they are on the Hooke for that? Did the situation reach Boyling point?
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
Of course the RN having an operational, combat-ready carrier stretches credibility a bit.
There is clearly going to have to be a reckoning over the carriers at some point because having two is looking impossible at the current budget and establishment. The RN has struck off six ships (Wave Knight, Echo, Shoreham, Grimsby, Enterprise and Montrose) in the last year to release crew and money but it's still not enough.
Indians made up the second largest cohort of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats in the first three months of the year, new figures have revealed.
In the period to the end of March, 675 Indian migrants arrived in small boats, or 18 per cent of the total 3,793 crossings in the first quarter of 2023.
Afghans were the most common migrants, with 909, accounting for 24 per cent of arrivals.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
@BestForBritain 7m Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
On topic: given that the oldies are the ones most concerned about the NHS is there political wiggle room to increase taxes on the retired specifically for the NHS?
Historically taxing the retired / about to retire (eg May’s long term care plan) has been politically impossible, but might this be changing?
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
So they are on the Hooke for that? Did the situation reach Boyling point?
The policeman asked them to give him their Ohm addresses and they asked in what capacitance he was asking. They all looked shocked.
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
Interesting point. I think it is likely because everyone can see the need for someone getting the health treatment they need.
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
Good luck OGH - I recently went private for a minor op to complete NHS broken bone work after the NHS follow up had been cancelled three times. Surgical care was identical (same surgeon as NHS) but pre- and post- care better - not that the nurses were better (same calibre as NHS) just they weren’t rushed off their feet. I’d guess same outcome, but several months sooner. They will want to make sure you’re in reasonable nick before hand, because if it goes pear shaped you’re likely on an ambulance to the nearest NHS hospital.
7m of a waiting list. That is more than 10% of the population, for goodness sake. More than 10% of us are waiting for what? Some sort of hospital procedure?
When are you "waiting"? When you have an appointment in 4 weeks? Is that "waiting"? My son has an appointment in 10 weeks to see a consultant. It is fixed for then because he will be back from University again. Is he one of the 7m?
I find this figure almost impossible to believe. I would love to know more about how it is calculated.
That all said, it is clear that the NHS is not delivering as it should for the money spent on it. Healthcare is being privatised by the back door because so many people take the same decision as Mike has done: they are not prepared to wait in pain and have lost confidence in the service provided. When I was young only the really rich went private. Now it seems to be a slightly predictable expense of later middle age.
I had it very wrong on this, and Foxy put me right on the 12 million figure. It was the National Audit Office scare mongering, and I fell for it.
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
Interesting point. I think it is likely because everyone can see the need for someone getting the health treatment they need.
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
There are no easy answers here, and there is also the law of unintended consequences.
The danger of cutting benefits to richer pensioners is that you disincentive people from saving: why bother putting money away if one of the consequences is that you no longer get a state pension?
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
Interesting point. I think it is likely because everyone can see the need for someone getting the health treatment they need.
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
There are no easy answers here, and there is also the law of unintended consequences.
The danger of cutting benefits to richer pensioners is that you disincentive people from saving: why bother putting money away if one of the consequences is that you no longer get a state pension?
The obvious solution is to take away some of the tax/national insurance breaks that pensioners get.
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
Interesting point. I think it is likely because everyone can see the need for someone getting the health treatment they need.
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
There are no easy answers here, and there is also the law of unintended consequences.
The danger of cutting benefits to richer pensioners is that you disincentive people from saving: why bother putting money away if one of the consequences is that you no longer get a state pension?
The obvious solution is to take away some of the tax/national insurance breaks that pensioners get.
That too is not without effect - but nowhere near as perverse.
So having been depressed by some of the news stories this morning and also depressed by the treatment by one of major credit card companies of a friend who has turned to me for help, I needed to lighten the mood and saw this joke that made me smile:
Heisenberg, Schrodinger and Ohm were driving when the police pulls them over.
'Do you know how fast you were going?'
Heisenberg replies: 'No but I know exactly where I am.'
'You were doing 55 mph.'
'Great, now I am lost.'
The policeman decides to check the car out and orders the boot to be opened.
'You have a dead cat here'
'We do now' complains Schrodinger.
The policeman decides to arrest them. Ohm resists.
Coulomb was also in the car and was the only one charged
Farad wanted to join them but there wasn't enough capacity
He asked to be inducted into the car but Ohm resisted.
Maybe the policeman found some stolen joules stored in the car.
So they are on the Hooke for that? Did the situation reach Boyling point?
The policeman asked them to give him their Ohm addresses and they asked in what capacitance he was asking. They all looked shocked.
...in his report the policeman said "Ah knowed (anode) they was up to no good and ah reported it to the DC"
Explosions are reported in the temporarily occupied settlements of Stara Zbur'ivka, Hola Prystan, Kardashynka, Pidlisne, Oleshky and Pishchanivka on the left bank of the Dnipro river. It's getting hot on the occupied territories. https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1650797230629040131
On topic, get Terry Matalas to run the NHS, everything he touches turns to magic.
So can we talk S3 spoilers now? I wanna talk S3 spoilers, inc E9&10.
Do it at your peril.... (on ep 7....)
Oh heck. Can you close your eyes for the obvious bits? Ep 8/9/10 revealed the real villains, had some weird guest stars/cameos/returns and I want to go into GREAT DETAIL.
OK, I'll leave it for a week and just discuss the starship designs until then. This does reveal one spoiler (NOT THAT ONE!) but as that was in the trailer it's not a real one.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
To think some people wanted tax cuts a few weeks ago due to the 'better' PSBR figures.
The chancellor has blamed the "eye-watering sums" spent on helping people through the coronavirus pandemic and energy crisis for an increase in public sector borrowing.
Public sector net borrowing was £21.5bn last month - the second-highest March borrowing since monthly records began in 1993.
The Office for National Statistics said that the government received 2% more in taxes and other income last month than in March last year.
But over the same period, spending increased by 16.8% to £104bn, in part due to the cost of the energy support schemes for households and businesses.
The idea that we could afford tax cuts or even avoid the consequences of fiscal drift was always illusionary. The underlying finances of the government are extremely weak. We have staggered from extraordinary spending on Covid to energy bills and the government is under huge pressure to address the cost of living crisis as well as waves of strike action in the public sector. Truss and Kwarteng were right that we need much more growth to square these circles but it is hard to see where that growth comes from. and their own disasters showed how little room there is left for manoeuvre.
We are where we are on public finances. Some very poor policy decisions by the incumbent government over the years have left public finances drained. We are left both with higher taxes and worse services.
We spent a decade trying to recover from the consequences of the GFC, not just the bank subsidies but, much more importantly, the loss of a significant part of our tax base. We were just about getting things back in balance when Covid came along and blew everything apart again. And then we have had the fuel crisis where the government have admittedly overreacted.
Your generality of "poor policy decisions" is, in my view, simply wrong. The government has done what it had to do to bring spending and sustainable tax back into line. We are not there yet. A Labour government would have done something very similar, no doubt seeking to spend just a little more and borrow and tax a little more but these differences would be at the margins and would be paid for by higher interest rates. There are no simple answers to the state we are in.
The austerity policy failed in its primary purpose of balancing the books. The UK also did relatively poorly coming out of the GFC compared with peers. Disclosure: I supported the policy at the time for the reasons you give but have to change my view when confronted with compelling evidence.
The government was also responsible for Brexit with opportunity loss in revenue of tens of billions of pounds per year party analysis.
Also a poor economic response on Covid and the Trussterfuck.
Overall a very poor record on public finances.
The initial austerity programme was probably essential, after all Darling was proposing much the same in 2010 GE too. The problem was continuing it too long.
The King's Fund report on the NHS is worth reading in full:
The consensus among people who know far more about this than I do, was that austerity was needed into 2010 but went on far too long and was ultimately counterproductive. You obviously still need financial discipline but there was some room for manoeuvre.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
The law of unintended consequences may be striking again.
That's been talked about for quite some time. Indeed deliberately pumping SO2 into the upper atmosphere has been proposed as an emergency measure to mitigate global warming. Plenty of other reasons that's not a good idea, of course, but it's not impossible it might come to that.
If she sent an identical email twice it rather supports the other theory about possible mental health issues.
Tbh I'm not sure Diane Abbott's second email proves anything either way. She sent the email; the Observer said they needed a postal address; she sent it again with her postal address. Now, which of us, when told, for example, that we forgot to attach the promised attachments to an email, actually re-reads the original rather than simply sending it again?
Indeed, since NI has effectively become just another income tax, it would make a lot of sense & vastly simplify the tax system to replace both with a single, tiered income tax that applies to everyone, young & old like.
Can’t see it happening, there would be outcry from the “I paid for it, so I want what’s mine” crowd, regardless of whether that’s true or not.
(IIRC the introduction of the GST in Canada crucified the conservatives, even though it was a revenue neutral tax change because it took a hidden tax that didn’t appear on your bill & turned it into one that did. Plus the shift from a tax on production to a VAT style tax inevitably meant there were both winners & losers & the losers presumably screamed blue murder whilst the winners kept quiet...)
If she sent an identical email twice it rather supports the other theory about possible mental health issues.
Tbh I'm not sure Diane Abbott's second email proves anything either way. She sent the email; the Observer said they needed a postal address; she sent it again with her postal address. Now, which of us, when told, for example, that we forgot to attach the promised attachments to an email, actually re-reads the original rather than simply sending it again?
Ah ok, didn't know all the details. You're right. But it would have given her a chance to think about the 'first draft' situation if it ever existed, which I doubt.
Indians made up the second largest cohort of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats in the first three months of the year, new figures have revealed.
In the period to the end of March, 675 Indian migrants arrived in small boats, or 18 per cent of the total 3,793 crossings in the first quarter of 2023.
Afghans were the most common migrants, with 909, accounting for 24 per cent of arrivals.
PS Roast Beef, yorkshir’s and onion gravy is still the national dish of Yorkshire.
I used to start with poppadoms and pickles, but started finding that a bit stodgy, so now I start with prawn purée before progressing on to meat vindaloo with pilau rice and a naan, sag aloo side dish, and at least one lassi refill. GF has a salad.
@BestForBritain 7m Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
When Sunak picked those goals, he must have calculated that they would all improve whatever he did - including "doing nothing".
Will they improve enough by the 2 weeks of the GE campaign for his own pledges not to be the main tool for the opposition to use against him? Even a marginal improvement is enough to take the sting out of them as a weapon against him in that critical moment, and for him to set out a different set of pledges for the campaign itself.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
@BestForBritain 7m Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
What's going on? Only a matter of weeks ago I was assured on here that growth was on the up and Labour's fox was well and truly shot.
Really sorry to hear that, Mike. The NHS will certainly be a key focus of the next election - above and beyond the "normal" rhetoric of it being in bad shape, more and more people know of those close to them who are experiencing the issues.
In a subsection of it, CAMHS is in near-collapse. Getting a child diagnosed and obtaining help takes months or even years. SEND provision is hard to obtain. And quite a few people are impacted by this or related to those who are badly impacted by this. The helplessness and rage you feel as a parent when this happens can't be overstated.
Yes - my eldest (9yo) is clearly to any reasonably informed observer on the spectrum; tics, squeals, fear of noises etc. etc. yet getting a diagnosis (we still don’t have one!) has taken literally years. Concerns first raised when he was six; the pandemic seemed to basically stop everything, and now here we are, waiting another three months to get phone appointment.
Really this is to make sure he gets the support he needs in school, but in the government’s less-than-perfect reforms to SEN, schools have far less discretion in self-diagnosing support via School Action/SA+ - he needs the EHC which, entirely predictably as an inter-agency enterprise, is a truly Homeric journey through a variety of inexplicable and contradictory nonsense. Another bit of Gove/Classic Dom legacy which has led to unnecessary anguish for thousands.
I went private for someone close to me. To get a ASD diagnosis
Cost £2000+. Insane
But also worth it, given that the alternative was, literally, years of waiting for CAMHS and maybe nothing at the end. I do not regret a penny. Absolutely worth it and has improved this person’s life, and self-awareness, immeasurably
I don't blame you. Not an option for me, unfortunately.
My main frustration is that he doesn't need masses of support really; he's a popular, smart and funny lad who just struggles in some areas. It's just mad that it takes this long to get to *diagnosis*. Especially when a private diagnosis - I know someone else who went the private route - can be achieved so quickly; it all points to systemic issues as much as funding.
Really sorry to hear that, Mike. The NHS will certainly be a key focus of the next election - above and beyond the "normal" rhetoric of it being in bad shape, more and more people know of those close to them who are experiencing the issues.
In a subsection of it, CAMHS is in near-collapse. Getting a child diagnosed and obtaining help takes months or even years. SEND provision is hard to obtain. And quite a few people are impacted by this or related to those who are badly impacted by this. The helplessness and rage you feel as a parent when this happens can't be overstated.
Yes - my eldest (9yo) is clearly to any reasonably informed observer on the spectrum; tics, squeals, fear of noises etc. etc. yet getting a diagnosis (we still don’t have one!) has taken literally years. Concerns first raised when he was six; the pandemic seemed to basically stop everything, and now here we are, waiting another three months to get phone appointment.
Really this is to make sure he gets the support he needs in school, but in the government’s less-than-perfect reforms to SEN, schools have far less discretion in self-diagnosing support via School Action/SA+ - he needs the EHC which, entirely predictably as an inter-agency enterprise, is a truly Homeric journey through a variety of inexplicable and contradictory nonsense. Another bit of Gove/Classic Dom legacy which has led to unnecessary anguish for thousands.
I went private for someone close to me. To get a ASD diagnosis
Cost £2000+. Insane
But also worth it, given that the alternative was, literally, years of waiting for CAMHS and maybe nothing at the end. I do not regret a penny. Absolutely worth it and has improved this person’s life, and self-awareness, immeasurably
I don't blame you. Not an option for me, unfortunately.
My main frustration is that he doesn't need masses of support really; he's a popular, smart and funny lad who just struggles in some areas. It's just mad that it takes this long to get to *diagnosis*. Especially when a private diagnosis - I know someone else who went the private route - can be achieved so quickly; it all points to systemic issues as much as funding.
The systemic issue is that there is so little money given to mental health by the Government that the staff who would otherwise be paid to do NHS work can rapidly do private work because it's the only work they have.
A warm spring has come to Tallinn. Bright sunshine, light breezes, and finally the winter chill is easing and windows are opening. We are hurtling to the light of the year, with an extra hour of daylight every week. The white nights are not far away and there is a sense of expectation in the air too.
The newly re-elected Estonian PM, Kaja Kallas has presented her new cabinet and in a sign of her reinforced power she has set much tighter economic policies than were talked of in the election. Not popular, but after the relative blow out of the COVID years, probably necessary. Yet still her priority, as with all Estonians, is the Russo-Ukrainian war, and her first visit was to President Zelensky.
In Kyiv the spring has been wet and the front line in the east and south is a muddy quagmire, yet Ukraine is filling with the preparations for the long awaited counter-offensive. Still NATO is too slow to re-equip the Ukrainian forces and there is frustration here that with fast jets, as with tanks before, there is still a reluctance to recognize that Russia will not stop unless it is stopped.
The descent of Russia into darkness is acutely felt here. Estonia has closed its Russian frontier to all but the most minimal travel, but still some refugees seek to cross, fleeing yet another call up. The economy is in free fall, but no one is prepared to speak up. the insidious propaganda and the growing violence of the secret police is creating a climate of terror, where even silence can be dangerous. Outrageous official lies are routine, and the return of Wagnerite murderers is making some places even more lawless than before. Putin´s Russia is an increasingly sick society: poor, lawless and scared.
On this side of the Narva bridge there is hope that the counter offensive not only brings a Ukrainian victory, but is so complete as to lead to the fall of the mafia state run from the Kremlin. Yet there is fear that Russia will leave Ukraine in a frozen limbo, as with Georgia and Moldova, and Syria before.
We wait for the ground to harden on the Ukrainian steppe and wish God speed to the ZSU in their attempt to liberate their country.
On thread - without getting into specific cases, it's odd that the pensions triple lock gets condemned as an intergenerational transfer of wealth upwards, while good quality healthcare free at the point of use does not.
Interesting point. I think it is likely because everyone can see the need for someone getting the health treatment they need.
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
There are no easy answers here, and there is also the law of unintended consequences.
The danger of cutting benefits to richer pensioners is that you disincentive people from saving: why bother putting money away if one of the consequences is that you no longer get a state pension?
You don't need to "cut benefits" to richer pensioners. You just need to lower the (40% rate) tax threshold for over-67s.
If she sent an identical email twice it rather supports the other theory about possible mental health issues.
Tbh I'm not sure Diane Abbott's second email proves anything either way. She sent the email; the Observer said they needed a postal address; she sent it again with her postal address. Now, which of us, when told, for example, that we forgot to attach the promised attachments to an email, actually re-reads the original rather than simply sending it again?
Yeah, not much of a scoop really. She was bang to rights from the off with this; her defence was patently bollocks.
Reiterate that she does come in for way more (and nastier) abuse than similarly crap male'n'pale people, but that doesn't make her immune to criticism. Time for her to hang it up, I think. She was my MP when I lived in E5 way back in 2004. Time for the good folk of Stokey and Clapton to have some fresher representation.
About the article; there are some things that propaganda/mood music/pro government media can sort - perhaps things not immediately visible like deficit and debt, even policing perhaps as most people most of the time are not being burgled right now.
The NHS is not one of these; SFAICS. Close to 100% of the population is affected by its realities, and of older Tory voters 100% is a realistic estimate. Younger people who never bother doctors have gran and great gran (who are among their favourite people) with a bad knee etc.
So, if Mr Smithson's (get well soon and best wishes) thesis is correct, as this cannot possibly be sorted in 18 months his headline should read "Sunak's Government looks doomed".
I still think he has a 20% chance of being PM after the next election .
@BestForBritain 7m Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
What's going on? Only a matter of weeks ago I was assured on here that growth was on the up and Labour's fox was well and truly shot.
Oh do keep up. Just this morning we are told tax receipts are up which means, erm, we can afford to cut taxes:-
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling. https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
Thought I was going to make a contribution to the scientist puns with "Haven't you lot got Holmes to go to?", only to discover that the element Holmium is named after Holmia, the Latin for Stockholm.
@BestForBritain 7m Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
What's going on? Only a matter of weeks ago I was assured on here that growth was on the up and Labour's fox was well and truly shot.
Oh do keep up. Just this morning we are told tax receipts are up which means, erm, we can afford to cut taxes:-
So Biden is currently aged 80. If he wins the race to be re-elected, he will stand down on Jan 20th, 2029, aged 86. Can’t help thinking it’s the wrong call, but there does appear to be something of a dearth of talent at the top of his party. And the other party.
Comments
Looks good though and every time I see Sewel I wonder why he isn't in more stuff. Caught the bit where he forces the police protection to give him a lift in episode 1
Re the discussion on private or NHS my wife (a doctor) will always choose the NHS unless it is either not urgent or the wait is too long. She did so for the MRI scan for her back because of the delay. Otherwise she considers the NHS safer. I don't know if things have changed but if stuff goes perashaped quickly she reckons you are far better off in an NHS hospital.
I'd suggest asking Thomas Callister Hales.
Gordon Brown
John Smith
Gordon Brown is also Brains
Penny Mourdant is Parkers Boss
It’s also as much about British politics as it is about American. Which is surprising and refreshing
I’m looking forward to season 2. Definitely worth a go
You can end up in some strange places.
I was disappointed there were only 8 episodes. Could easily have watched 12 or 15
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17001504/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491088/
The short season thing is increasingly popular with the streamers, I think. They don't have to commit as much budget to the expensive to make series. If it's popular, season two can follow quickly; if not...
*Though I could be wrong, as there's considerable resorting to fridge logic elsewhere.
Cost £2000+. Insane
But also worth it, given that the alternative was, literally, years of waiting for CAMHS and maybe nothing at the end. I do not regret a penny. Absolutely worth it and has improved this person’s life, and self-awareness, immeasurably
https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a43681776/the-diplomat-season-2-release-date-netflix/
I am the shallowest person in the world but I like it that everyone is well dressed. The chief of station guy is a dude, and even Kate has her own style (which crops up in the narrative from time to time).
You're assuming it was combat ready.
Incidentally, the local GP has been very good; attentive and supportive.
Scoop from @JewishChron: Diane Abbott sent Observer letter twice, raising doubts over 'draft' claims (thread)
https://twitter.com/jakewsimons/status/1650789679384477706?s=61&t=GGp3Vs1t1kTWDiyA-odnZg
This is getting ridiculous.
OISST provides a real-time daily index of ocean surface temperature (60 S - 60 N). For the last month it has been continuously reading higher than in any previous year (40+ year series) and still shows no sign of settling.
https://twitter.com/RARohde/status/1650648421458477061
In fact, having a physics punfest during teaching time is causing howls of pain. You can hear them across the land- ow!
(Lev Landau. One of those maddening Russians who not only knew everything about everything, but knew it better than the specialists.)
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/minister-priti-patel-quit-eu-to-save-our-curry-houses-a3251071.html
I like curry lunches too.
PS Roast Beef, yorkshir’s and onion gravy is still the national dish of Yorkshire.
So do we hugely increase sulfur emissions to er, battle global warming?
7m
Sunak’s five goals going well, I see. Growth 0.0%; Inflation falling slower than expected; NHS waiting lists growing faster; and no boats “stopped” - unless you count scheduled ones from Dover, delayed by queues.
And now UK debt to GDP hits a record high. I make that 0/5. 👍 ~AA
Historically taxing the retired / about to retire (eg May’s long term care plan) has been politically impossible, but might this be changing?
I and many others simply don't see the need for those pensioners who are very well off, or in the current economic circumstances, simply well off, to get 10% state pension increases. And before anyone says that does not apply to all pensioners, how about removing triple lock for state pension but keeping it, along with a one off 5% uplift, for pension credit. That would be fine with me.
The money that goes to the poorest pensioners gets recycled very quickly into the economy and doesnt cost much whereas the money that goes to the richest pensioners just drives up property prices and rents which are bad for the economy and productivitiy.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/01/up-to-12m-people-could-be-on-nhs-waiting-list-in-england-by-2025
I put my hand up and apologise, my posting probity wasn’t what it should be.
You point is good though, when you look up what the actual figure is you get different figures for size of waiting list.
https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-waiting-list-hits-all-time-high-of-7-22-million-with-one-in-10-waiting-12-hours-in-a-e-12856347
The danger of cutting benefits to richer pensioners is that you disincentive people from saving: why bother putting money away if one of the consequences is that you no longer get a state pension?
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1650797230629040131
OK, I'll leave it for a week and just discuss the starship designs until then. This does reveal one spoiler (NOT THAT ONE!) but as that was in the trailer it's not a real one.
https://twitter.com/LeonSimons8/status/1633566568528375811
The law of unintended consequences may be striking again.
Worth reiterating: while Trump is riding high in the GOP stakes it is very hard to see Biden losing 2024, IMHO.
Indeed deliberately pumping SO2 into the upper atmosphere has been proposed as an emergency measure to mitigate global warming. Plenty of other reasons that's not a good idea, of course, but it's not impossible it might come to that.
Can’t see it happening, there would be outcry from the “I paid for it, so I want what’s mine” crowd, regardless of whether that’s true or not.
(IIRC the introduction of the GST in Canada crucified the conservatives, even though it was a revenue neutral tax change because it took a hidden tax that didn’t appear on your bill & turned it into one that did. Plus the shift from a tax on production to a VAT style tax inevitably meant there were both winners & losers & the losers presumably screamed blue murder whilst the winners kept quiet...)
The reason given in the 2017 election campaign.
If they achieve this, it will be quite an accomplishment (it already is quite an accomplishment, just to have got that far,)
Livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpR1UUnix3g
Will they improve enough by the 2 weeks of the GE campaign for his own pledges not to be the main tool for the opposition to use against him? Even a marginal improvement is enough to take the sting out of them as a weapon against him in that critical moment, and for him to set out a different set of pledges for the campaign itself.
My main frustration is that he doesn't need masses of support really; he's a popular, smart and funny lad who just struggles in some areas. It's just mad that it takes this long to get to *diagnosis*. Especially when a private diagnosis - I know someone else who went the private route - can be achieved so quickly; it all points to systemic issues as much as funding.
The newly re-elected Estonian PM, Kaja Kallas has presented her new cabinet and in a sign of her reinforced power she has set much tighter economic policies than were talked of in the election. Not popular, but after the relative blow out of the COVID years, probably necessary. Yet still her priority, as with all Estonians, is the Russo-Ukrainian war, and her first visit was to President Zelensky.
In Kyiv the spring has been wet and the front line in the east and south is a muddy quagmire, yet Ukraine is filling with the preparations for the long awaited counter-offensive. Still NATO is too slow to re-equip the Ukrainian forces and there is frustration here that with fast jets, as with tanks before, there is still a reluctance to recognize that Russia will not stop unless it is stopped.
The descent of Russia into darkness is acutely felt here. Estonia has closed its Russian frontier to all but the most minimal travel, but still some refugees seek to cross, fleeing yet another call up. The economy is in free fall, but no one is prepared to speak up. the insidious propaganda and the growing violence of the secret police is creating a climate of terror, where even silence can be dangerous. Outrageous official lies are routine, and the return of Wagnerite murderers is making some places even more lawless than before. Putin´s Russia is an increasingly sick society: poor, lawless and scared.
On this side of the Narva bridge there is hope that the counter offensive not only brings a Ukrainian victory, but is so complete as to lead to the fall of the mafia state run from the Kremlin. Yet there is fear that Russia will leave Ukraine in a frozen limbo, as with Georgia and Moldova, and Syria before.
We wait for the ground to harden on the Ukrainian steppe and wish God speed to the ZSU in their attempt to liberate their country.
The mars explorer that Colin Pillinger was involved with almost certainly landed...
..
You just need to lower the (40% rate) tax threshold for over-67s.
Reiterate that she does come in for way more (and nastier) abuse than similarly crap male'n'pale people, but that doesn't make her immune to criticism. Time for her to hang it up, I think. She was my MP when I lived in E5 way back in 2004. Time for the good folk of Stokey and Clapton to have some fresher representation.
The NHS is not one of these; SFAICS. Close to 100% of the population is affected by its realities, and of older Tory voters 100% is a realistic estimate. Younger people who never bother doctors have gran and great gran (who are among their favourite people) with a bad knee etc.
So, if Mr Smithson's (get well soon and best wishes) thesis is correct, as this cannot possibly be sorted in 18 months his headline should read "Sunak's Government looks doomed".
I still think he has a 20% chance of being PM after the next election .
Stronger tax receipts helped the Government borrow £13.2bn less than official forecasts last year, in what economists said would pave the way for tax cuts ahead of the election.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/04/25/jeremy-hunt-13bn-tax-cut-boost-general-election/ (£££)
To be fair, the same article points out that March borrowing was the highest since 1961 so maybe we are not out of the woods just yet.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/01/22/67402/were-about-to-kill-a-massive-accidental-experiment-in-halting-global-warming/
Oh, Biden's announced BTW.
That'll larn me...