My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Our local pharmacy dispensed my wife one tablet in a box marked "take one tablet twice a day".
Clearly no common sense to question whether there was an error on the prescription.
I see Lyon is out for the series - least surprising news of the day. Tough for him as he has been ever present for a very long time.
Lords was a very busy test news-wise.
1. Just Stop Oil protest 2. Lyon injured for remainder of series. 3. Lyon batting on one leg. 4. Starc non catch 5. Bairstow stumping. 6. One of the all time great 4th innings from Stokes. (Who deserved MOTM I thought)
I see Red Wall tories calling for the halting of visas for social care workers from abroad.
They have no idea of the state of the care system.
If you want to improve the care system, how about paying care staff more than a pittance more than minimum wage?
Care home near me have a big banner outside boasting that they are paying rates of £10.90 per hour in order to attract staff.
That wage should not be high enough to attract visas.
Great.
Tell Hunt to hand over the money then, rather than splathing ever more on the NHS.
A Modest Proposal
Item : we have a shortage of cheap labour Item : conditions in Rwandan (and other African) jails are horrendous.
Solution : we pay Rwanda et al to import as many criminals as they can send us, for a modest fee each. They can be given useful work (unpaid) decently fed and housed.
Addendum: the port of entry should be in Bristol, where a statue to the genius of my proposal shall be erected. Paid for by a percentage of the profits of said trade.
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy veh. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
Ireland and the UK [both well below other European nations] are well known for being a culture where drunkenness is frowned upon? 🤔
France seems a counterexample the other way. And I read yesterday that Norway was the happiest country in the world which seems unlikely if they are prepared to poison themselves with drink at Norway prices.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Will change in a few years as all qualifying pharmacists become able to prescribe - they would change that prescription for him. They cannot legally do that at the current time.
Even now, the pharmacist can, in certain situations, dispense an emergency supply if needed.
Although, with statins, missing a couple of days is going to do very little, I'd've thought. (Not a medical doctor, not a pharmacist. Please seek your own medical advice.)
I see Lyon is out for the series - least surprising news of the day. Tough for him as he has been ever present for a very long time.
Lords was a very busy test news-wise.
1. Just Stop Oil protest 2. Lyon injured for remainder of series. 3. Lyon batting on one leg. 4. Starc non catch 5. Bairstow stumping. 6. One of the all time great 4th innings from Stokes. (Who deserved MOTM I thought)
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Will change in a few years as all qualifying pharmacists become able to prescribe - they would change that prescription for him. They cannot legally do that at the current time.
Because the size of the tablets was on the original prescription. As opposed to “20mg per day”. The latter is possible - had it done for a family prescription.
A comic example of the effect of literalism - on a firearms certificate there may or may not be a limit on calibre. These days one is always put in. Older certificates often don’t have them. There is no process for the police to *force* adding a calibre limit.
The main gun of a tank is, legally, a really big manual firearm - you have to do a bunch of steps at each shot. So, if you have a firearms certificate without calibre limit, it is completely legal to own a tank with a “live” main gun.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
I'm on those. Pop one every day after lunch. It felt a bit odd at first but I'm quite enjoying it now.
OK..... It's those little things that please you with age.
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy vey. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
Someone should plot a bell curve so we can see how many SDs out Belarus really is. I suspect some sort of reporting bias though. Died OF drink vs died WITH drink.
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy vey. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
I'm not in the least bit surprised by Denmark. You sometimes see people drinking beer on the bus to work in the morning. Suit, tie, laptop case, can of Tuborg. Bizarre.
Germany is the same. I'd always thought of it as displaying a relatively civilised attitude to their (very fine) national drink but perhaps not.
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy vey. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
I'm not in the least bit surprised by Denmark. You sometimes see people drinking beer on the bus to work in the morning. Suit, tie, laptop case, can of Tuborg. Bizarre.
Germany is the same. I'd always thought of it as displaying a relatively civilised attitude to their (very fine) national drink but perhaps not.
I have always suspected alcohol use is highly correlated to the weather. Greyness and coldness inflict more of a toll on the human soul than most people who live in such geographies realize. When you live in a warm, sunny climate, alcohol is just a nice social relaxant. When you have long, dark nights, alcohol becomes a means a temporary escape. The countries that truly have binge drinking cultures all seem to be cold and/or grey for much of the year.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy vey. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
Didn't expect France to be significantly higher than the UK.
The Czech Republic is surprisingly low, given that they drink the most beer per capita in the world.
Generally sticking to beer around the 4-6% mark is maybe healthier than stronger drinks?
However - death from 'alcohol use disorder' might be the key here. If every Czech pretty much has pilsner on their corn flakes every morning, what constitutes a disorder?
French does a poor job of keeping immigrants out of poverty. UK does pretty well by comparison. Look at Sweden. But also Germany.
Germany's number will be "flattered" by the still large-ish number of people from the former East Germany still living in poverty.
Why is it "France doing a poor job" rather than "immigrants to France doing a poor job". That graph is damning to Western immigration policies everywhere. We should not be bringing in people that are poorer than the rest of the population. It just increases the burden on the taxpayer in an age where we cannot afford it.
You need to be careful here to distinguish between poverty and a burden to the taxpayers. You can be one or the other, both, or neither.
Let's not pretend there isn't an incredibly strong correlation between income level and net contribution to the exchequer.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I see the competition Authority is saying that Morrisons and Asda have increased the price of Petrol / Diesel by 6p a litre because they no longer rush to pass wholesale price cuts down to customers...
Almost like Private Equity is bad for customers...
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I don't know. I can tell you fuel remains 13p a litre cheaper at any filling station in Wolverhampton than anywhere else I drive past.
My suspicion is there is a garage somewhere nearby selling dodgy stuff (or non-taxed) which is driving the price down very fast among the others to try and keep custom.
Almost as cheap as the bottle of wine Sunak donated.
At least it wasn’t Buckfast!
An American wine connoisseur made the mistake of reviewing buckfast… Here’s their tasting notes:
Buckfast Tonic Wine (No Vintage)
Screw cap, took it off about 30 minutes before to bring in some air. Apparently made by monks in England. Decided to try while cooking dinner. Poured into a glass, first glance has a very inky almost brownish color that you see in older wines. Very syrupy, liquid clings to the side of the glass when swirled. Almost 15% ABV.
Stuck my nose in and was hit with something I’ve never experienced before. Barnyardy funk (in a bad way) almost like a dead animal in a bird’s nest. A mix of flat Coca Cola and caramel with a whiff of gun metal.
On the palate, overwhelming sweetness and sugar. Cherry Cola mixed with Benadryl. Unlike anything I’ve tasted. I’m not sure what this liquid is but it is not wine, I’m actually not sure what it is but it tastes like something a doctor would prescribe. A chemical concoction of the highest degree. Can only compare it to a Four Loko.
Managed to make it through a couple small glasses but not much more. Has absolutely ruined the evening drinking-wise for me as I tried to drink a nice Bordeaux after but the iron-like metallic sweet aftertaste I just couldn’t get out of my mouth even after a few glasses of water. I don’t drink a lot of coffee regularly so I also have mild heart palpitations from the caffeine after just drinking a bit of this and feel a slight migraine.
An ungodly concoction made by seemingly godly men. I believe the Vatican needs to send an exorcist over to Buckfast Abbey as the devil’s works are cleary present there. After tasting this “wine,” the way I feel can only be described as akin to being under a bridge on one’s knees orally pleasing a vagrant while simultaneously drinking liquified meth through a dirty rag.
I’ve drank a lot of wines in my life and will never forget this one.
Buckfast Powersmash is one of those drinks so awful that it's good. Was in the tattier of the village shops when a guy was in buying a few bottles. And looked like he is a regular drinker of the stuff.
Was then amazed to see a Buckie trade stand at a food expo a few months back. They were pushing the "made by monks" line really hard and getting "ooh that's interesting" responses from trade buyers. FFS no, you really don't need Buckfast punters in your shop. Its like being a proud seller of Lambrini and McEwan's Export.
Almost as cheap as the bottle of wine Sunak donated.
At least it wasn’t Buckfast!
An American wine connoisseur made the mistake of reviewing buckfast… Here’s their tasting notes:
Buckfast Tonic Wine (No Vintage)
Screw cap, took it off about 30 minutes before to bring in some air. Apparently made by monks in England. Decided to try while cooking dinner. Poured into a glass, first glance has a very inky almost brownish color that you see in older wines. Very syrupy, liquid clings to the side of the glass when swirled. Almost 15% ABV.
Stuck my nose in and was hit with something I’ve never experienced before. Barnyardy funk (in a bad way) almost like a dead animal in a bird’s nest. A mix of flat Coca Cola and caramel with a whiff of gun metal.
On the palate, overwhelming sweetness and sugar. Cherry Cola mixed with Benadryl. Unlike anything I’ve tasted. I’m not sure what this liquid is but it is not wine, I’m actually not sure what it is but it tastes like something a doctor would prescribe. A chemical concoction of the highest degree. Can only compare it to a Four Loko.
Managed to make it through a couple small glasses but not much more. Has absolutely ruined the evening drinking-wise for me as I tried to drink a nice Bordeaux after but the iron-like metallic sweet aftertaste I just couldn’t get out of my mouth even after a few glasses of water. I don’t drink a lot of coffee regularly so I also have mild heart palpitations from the caffeine after just drinking a bit of this and feel a slight migraine.
An ungodly concoction made by seemingly godly men. I believe the Vatican needs to send an exorcist over to Buckfast Abbey as the devil’s works are cleary present there. After tasting this “wine,” the way I feel can only be described as akin to being under a bridge on one’s knees orally pleasing a vagrant while simultaneously drinking liquified meth through a dirty rag.
I’ve drank a lot of wines in my life and will never forget this one.
Buckfast Powersmash is one of those drinks so awful that it's good. Was in the tattier of the village shops when a guy was in buying a few bottles. And looked like he is a regular drinker of the stuff.
Was then amazed to see a Buckie trade stand at a food expo a few months back. They were pushing the "made by monks" line really hard and getting "ooh that's interesting" responses from trade buyers. FFS no, you really don't need Buckfast punters in your shop. Its like being a proud seller of Lambrini and McEwan's Export.
Buckie punters are actually *upmarket* by the standards of your average jaikie on Union Street or the Sautmarket. Before the alcohol pricing controls came in in particular, you could get smashed far more cheaply on other stuff, and I believe the differential is still there even now if not so marked. (Sudden thought: does the origin of Buckie correlate with its sales in Glasgow to different football club supporters? Never heard of such a thing, though.)
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I think that's right. I know where's cheapest in my locality (Asda) - so if I have the luxury of planning a refuel in advance, that's where I'll go, at some point when I'm passing. But even though I'm quite interested, I'm not interested enough to be a ble to say how much diesel is there right now.
The market is far less price sensitive that you'd assume would be the case. A saving of 2p a litre isn't really worth driving 2 miles out of your way for.
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
Denmark is a bit of shocker, and as for Belarus, oy veh. Must be having to cope with the neighbours.
Ireland and the UK [both well below other European nations] are well known for being a culture where drunkenness is frowned upon? 🤔
Yes. I too was surprised to see alcohol deaths in Britain and Ireland at a lower rate than, say, France. Doesn't fit the preconceptions and stereotypes.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I don't know. I can tell you fuel remains 13p a litre cheaper at any filling station in Wolverhampton than anywhere else I drive past.
My suspicion is there is a garage somewhere nearby selling dodgy stuff (or non-taxed) which is driving the price down very fast among the others to try and keep custom.
Nope, but I suspect there is an independent whose business is used to taking 2-3p profit per litre and is happy to continue doing so.
Round here there are a couple of garages in Bishop / West Auckland that work that way
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
Of course they defeated Germany, they never defeated Britain.
I see the competition Authority is saying that Morrisons and Asda have increased the price of Petrol / Diesel by 6p a litre because they no longer rush to pass wholesale price cuts down to customers...
Almost like Private Equity is bad for customers...
It’s not private equity. It’s a failure to regulate oligopoly.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I don't know. I can tell you fuel remains 13p a litre cheaper at any filling station in Wolverhampton than anywhere else I drive past.
My suspicion is there is a garage somewhere nearby selling dodgy stuff (or non-taxed) which is driving the price down very fast among the others to try and keep custom.
Nope, but I suspect there is an independent whose business is used to taking 2-3p profit per litre and is happy to continue doing so.
Round here there are a couple of garages in Bishop / West Auckland that work that way
There are several independents in Cannock and Rugeley (and indeed Gloucestershire) who work that way but prices remain stubbornly at 144.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
No information, just speculation: the variability of the price makes it really hard to know where's cheaper. You go past a station that was 146p a month ago and now it's 139p. You remember seeing another station in the next town that was 144p three weeks ago... which one was cheaper a month ago? Three weeks ago? Now? You have no idea. When the price changes daily, you need to make a real effort to know where is cheaper. Perhaps in big conurbations where you might drive past three stations on a shortish commute, you can notice without much effort, but otherwise..
I don't know. I can tell you fuel remains 13p a litre cheaper at any filling station in Wolverhampton than anywhere else I drive past.
My suspicion is there is a garage somewhere nearby selling dodgy stuff (or non-taxed) which is driving the price down very fast among the others to try and keep custom.
That's interesting. I can also offer you Bredbury as an example of fuel being weirdly cheaper than neighbouring districts. Could be the same reason. I always thought little hotspots like this were because you were close to an oil terminus, but your theory makes more sense.
Almost as cheap as the bottle of wine Sunak donated.
At least it wasn’t Buckfast!
An American wine connoisseur made the mistake of reviewing buckfast… Here’s their tasting notes:
Buckfast Tonic Wine (No Vintage)
Screw cap, took it off about 30 minutes before to bring in some air. Apparently made by monks in England. Decided to try while cooking dinner. Poured into a glass, first glance has a very inky almost brownish color that you see in older wines. Very syrupy, liquid clings to the side of the glass when swirled. Almost 15% ABV.
Stuck my nose in and was hit with something I’ve never experienced before. Barnyardy funk (in a bad way) almost like a dead animal in a bird’s nest. A mix of flat Coca Cola and caramel with a whiff of gun metal.
On the palate, overwhelming sweetness and sugar. Cherry Cola mixed with Benadryl. Unlike anything I’ve tasted. I’m not sure what this liquid is but it is not wine, I’m actually not sure what it is but it tastes like something a doctor would prescribe. A chemical concoction of the highest degree. Can only compare it to a Four Loko.
Managed to make it through a couple small glasses but not much more. Has absolutely ruined the evening drinking-wise for me as I tried to drink a nice Bordeaux after but the iron-like metallic sweet aftertaste I just couldn’t get out of my mouth even after a few glasses of water. I don’t drink a lot of coffee regularly so I also have mild heart palpitations from the caffeine after just drinking a bit of this and feel a slight migraine.
An ungodly concoction made by seemingly godly men. I believe the Vatican needs to send an exorcist over to Buckfast Abbey as the devil’s works are cleary present there. After tasting this “wine,” the way I feel can only be described as akin to being under a bridge on one’s knees orally pleasing a vagrant while simultaneously drinking liquified meth through a dirty rag.
I’ve drank a lot of wines in my life and will never forget this one.
Buckfast Powersmash is one of those drinks so awful that it's good. Was in the tattier of the village shops when a guy was in buying a few bottles. And looked like he is a regular drinker of the stuff.
Was then amazed to see a Buckie trade stand at a food expo a few months back. They were pushing the "made by monks" line really hard and getting "ooh that's interesting" responses from trade buyers. FFS no, you really don't need Buckfast punters in your shop. Its like being a proud seller of Lambrini and McEwan's Export.
Buckie punters are actually *upmarket* by the standards of your average jaikie on Union Street or the Sautmarket. Before the alcohol pricing controls came in in particular, you could get smashed far more cheaply on other stuff, and I believe the differential is still there even now if not so marked. (Sudden thought: does the origin of Buckie correlate with its sales in Glasgow to different football club supporters? Never heard of such a thing, though.)
Haw! THat's a good one. @Theuniondivvie and @malcolmg will like that. And the best bit is "The drink's UK manufacturers – who previously launched a gin with a similar name – deny targeting any specific demographic."
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
That's what happens when you put 'Great' in your country name.* People start to believe you're bigger and badder than you really are
*yeah, yeah, 'UK' - they no doubt think we're united, too
I think the LDs probably are roughly evens to overtake the SNP, certainly between 4/6 and 6/4, but it depends mostly on the SNP performance rather than the LDs. I prefer the 5/2 available on SNP under 20 seats, though you certainly could see a world where the SNP win 30 seats and the LDs 30-40.
I don't agree that drunkenness in the UK is frowned upon. It (drunkenness) is often seen as a badge of honour and the vernacular around getting drunk shows that it is perceived as at least not socially unacceptable.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
I see the competition Authority is saying that Morrisons and Asda have increased the price of Petrol / Diesel by 6p a litre because they no longer rush to pass wholesale price cuts down to customers...
Almost like Private Equity is bad for customers...
It’s not private equity. It’s a failure to regulate oligopoly.
True - the issue is the CMA have just let Eurogarages (one of the worst offenders) buy Asda....
As with all other regulators in the UK they appear to be utterly incompetent....
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
"except after C"
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
"except after C"
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
It's good to know there are still optimists around who think it will be 5 rather than 6+...
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
"except after C"
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
It's good to know there are still optimists around who think it will be 5 rather than 6+...
True.
My other response to I before E except after C is to say that expression still surviving shows we live in a weird society.
E.g. Bulgaria drinks like a fish (other sources confirm) but the map says nobody dies of it. Rubbish map.
Possibly they have a very strict definition of 'alcohol related deaths?' E.g. only if they were drowned in a vat, or something?
A bit like Covid statistics.
Quite. To repeat myself it's died OF drink vs died WITH drink.
I'm not so sure that's necessarily the case. There are a lot of patterns on the map that make more sense than it being due to random reporting differences.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Will change in a few years as all qualifying pharmacists become able to prescribe - they would change that prescription for him. They cannot legally do that at the current time.
Because the size of the tablets was on the original prescription. As opposed to “20mg per day”. The latter is possible - had it done for a family prescription.
A comic example of the effect of literalism - on a firearms certificate there may or may not be a limit on calibre. These days one is always put in. Older certificates often don’t have them. There is no process for the police to *force* adding a calibre limit.
The main gun of a tank is, legally, a really big manual firearm - you have to do a bunch of steps at each shot. So, if you have a firearms certificate without calibre limit, it is completely legal to own a tank with a “live” main gun.
HE and AP ammo is explicitly banned for purchase by FAC holders. So unless your tank can fire round shot (it can't) it's useless as a weapon.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Will change in a few years as all qualifying pharmacists become able to prescribe - they would change that prescription for him. They cannot legally do that at the current time.
Because the size of the tablets was on the original prescription. As opposed to “20mg per day”. The latter is possible - had it done for a family prescription.
A comic example of the effect of literalism - on a firearms certificate there may or may not be a limit on calibre. These days one is always put in. Older certificates often don’t have them. There is no process for the police to *force* adding a calibre limit.
The main gun of a tank is, legally, a really big manual firearm - you have to do a bunch of steps at each shot. So, if you have a firearms certificate without calibre limit, it is completely legal to own a tank with a “live” main gun.
HE and AP ammo is explicitly banned for purchase by FAC holders. So unless your tank can fire round shot (it can't) it's useless as a weapon.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
"except after C"
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
It's good to know there are still optimists around who think it will be 5 rather than 6+...
True.
My other response to I before E except after C is to say that expression still surviving shows we live in a weird society.
It would be amply proved if we lived in a wired society.
I don't agree that drunkenness in the UK is frowned upon. It (drunkenness) is often seen as a badge of honour and the vernacular around getting drunk shows that it is perceived as at least not socially unacceptable.
I think the thing that probably helps Britain most is the relative share of beer as opposed to spirits consumption. Vodka is evidently not good for you.
Sue Gray banged to rights by a Cabinet Office inquiry.
Gove Boris his job back!
This was spectacularly stupid by her and by Starmer. They have essentially undermined the independence of her enquiry. So stupid.
I'm afraid however the Tories spin it that is very much a side issue. Because unless you are saying that the Met were in on this new job of Grey's, her inquiry into Case and Johnson was ultimately not the key point.
As far as Boris is concerned its all history now anyway, since he's history now anyway.
But as far as Sunak is concerned, with the rather odd anyway fine he received, it does politically make it look a bit like fruit of the poisoned tree.
And it was completely unnecessary by Starmer. He's beating Sunak anyway, why make such a silly unforced error?
That fine was nothing to do with Grey's report.
And it would be stretching it somewhat to say that her impartiality or otherwise undermines any disciplinary offences within the CS itself. Not that any of them appear to have been disciplined in any meaningful way.
G R A Y
G – R – A – Y
FFS.
I wonder whether the people who misspell names like Sue Grey and Kier Starmer do it through ignorance or think they are being funny at the expense of their rivals? (Hint: if it’s the latter, you’re not - just tedious.)
In my case, I get Keir Starmer wrong because there's a large construction firm called 'Kier', which I have known since childhood. Familiarity means I think Kier rather than Keir. I do try to catch it though, and I don't think I've done it in a while.
I before E except after C, the b*gger cannot even spell his name correctly.
"except after C"
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
It's good to know there are still optimists around who think it will be 5 rather than 6+...
When Bozziah returns before GE 24 do we count him once or twice?
The Orkney news is being carried by worldwide news outlets, which shows just how much tripe is pumped out by the news media.
It’s silly season stuff.
On one level it silly season, but on another level I can see why they are doing it - they've never really regarded themselves as Scottish, hate the lack of money the Scottish Government gives them and need a whole new set of ferries in a hurry because the old ones are dying
I don't agree that drunkenness in the UK is frowned upon. It (drunkenness) is often seen as a badge of honour and the vernacular around getting drunk shows that it is perceived as at least not socially unacceptable.
I think the thing that probably helps Britain most is the relative share of beer as opposed to spirits consumption. Vodka is evidently not good for you.
Judging by Ireland's figures, Guinness is Good For You.
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
Of course they defeated Germany, they never defeated Britain.
We won. Stalin is mainly remembered as a dead twat in a film with Jason Isaacs monstering the buffet.
The Orkney news is being carried by worldwide news outlets, which shows just how much tripe is pumped out by the news media.
It’s silly season stuff.
On one level it silly season, but on another level I can see why they are doing it - they've never really regarded themselves as Scottish, hate the lack of money the Scottish Government gives them and need a whole new set of ferries in a hurry because the old ones are dying
It is pure bollocks by one Unionist councillor, more chance of eth Isle of Wight becoming independent.
The Orkney news is being carried by worldwide news outlets, which shows just how much tripe is pumped out by the news media.
It’s silly season stuff.
On one level it is on another level I can see why they are doing it - they've never really regatded themselves as Scottish, hate the lack of money the Scottish Government gives them and need a whole new set of ferries in a hurry because the old ones are dying
Eh? Serco and a couple of private family firms operate the ferries to Orkney, and the council itself operates the inter-island services.
I think the LDs probably are roughly evens to overtake the SNP, certainly between 4/6 and 6/4, but it depends mostly on the SNP performance rather than the LDs. I prefer the 5/2 available on SNP under 20 seats, though you certainly could see a world where the SNP win 30 seats and the LDs 30-40.
Chances of a tie? That will present a dilemma for PMQs. Probably one question each per week I'd expect.
As I, and @MaxPB have noted. And it’s not just petrol retailers.
It's actually an open goal for Sunak's government to make a lot of noise on, get reversed, and help bring inflation down. They won't, because of awful diesel cars being such a sin.
Why is the market failing in the case of the fuel industry? I don't think it's a cartel? Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price. In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly. My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling. But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
It's a cartel.
There was a guy in Cardiff in the 1980s called Curly Humphreys. He owned a chain of discount stores called Hyper Value. He set up a petrol retailer called Action Stations, he had two outlets, one in Cowbridge Road, Cardiff and one in Dinas Powis. He played the Rotterdam spot markets and was always up to ten pence a GALLON cheaper than Shell, BP, Texaco and Esso. As I recall his enterprise kept going for a while until they squeezed him out with cheaper prices. When he was gone they reverted to type, and price.
The Orkney news is being carried by worldwide news outlets, which shows just how much tripe is pumped out by the news media.
It’s silly season stuff.
On one level it silly season, but on another level I can see why they are doing it - they've never really regarded themselves as Scottish, hate the lack of money the Scottish Government gives them and need a whole new set of ferries in a hurry because the old ones are dying
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
Of course they defeated Germany, they never defeated Britain.
We won. Stalin is mainly remembered as a dead twat in a film with Jason Isaacs monstering the buffet.
The mental impact the Death of Stalin has had on popular history must be immense. I read Beevor's Stalingrad last year and just pictured Zhukov as Jason Isaacs. Same with Beria as Simon Russell Beale, every time he comes up in a history text.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
I'm on those. Pop one every day after lunch. It felt a bit odd at first but I'm quite enjoying it now.
OK..... It's those little things that please you with age.
I find myself pretending I'm Keith Richards and the statin is actually an 'upper' or a 'downer', depending on whether I've already laid down my solo. I'm 62 but in many ways quite immature.
Almost as cheap as the bottle of wine Sunak donated.
At least it wasn’t Buckfast!
An American wine connoisseur made the mistake of reviewing buckfast… Here’s their tasting notes:
Buckfast Tonic Wine (No Vintage)
Screw cap, took it off about 30 minutes before to bring in some air. Apparently made by monks in England. Decided to try while cooking dinner. Poured into a glass, first glance has a very inky almost brownish color that you see in older wines. Very syrupy, liquid clings to the side of the glass when swirled. Almost 15% ABV.
Stuck my nose in and was hit with something I’ve never experienced before. Barnyardy funk (in a bad way) almost like a dead animal in a bird’s nest. A mix of flat Coca Cola and caramel with a whiff of gun metal.
On the palate, overwhelming sweetness and sugar. Cherry Cola mixed with Benadryl. Unlike anything I’ve tasted. I’m not sure what this liquid is but it is not wine, I’m actually not sure what it is but it tastes like something a doctor would prescribe. A chemical concoction of the highest degree. Can only compare it to a Four Loko.
Managed to make it through a couple small glasses but not much more. Has absolutely ruined the evening drinking-wise for me as I tried to drink a nice Bordeaux after but the iron-like metallic sweet aftertaste I just couldn’t get out of my mouth even after a few glasses of water. I don’t drink a lot of coffee regularly so I also have mild heart palpitations from the caffeine after just drinking a bit of this and feel a slight migraine.
An ungodly concoction made by seemingly godly men. I believe the Vatican needs to send an exorcist over to Buckfast Abbey as the devil’s works are cleary present there. After tasting this “wine,” the way I feel can only be described as akin to being under a bridge on one’s knees orally pleasing a vagrant while simultaneously drinking liquified meth through a dirty rag.
I’ve drank a lot of wines in my life and will never forget this one.
Buckfast Powersmash is one of those drinks so awful that it's good. Was in the tattier of the village shops when a guy was in buying a few bottles. And looked like he is a regular drinker of the stuff.
Was then amazed to see a Buckie trade stand at a food expo a few months back. They were pushing the "made by monks" line really hard and getting "ooh that's interesting" responses from trade buyers. FFS no, you really don't need Buckfast punters in your shop. Its like being a proud seller of Lambrini and McEwan's Export.
Buckie punters are actually *upmarket* by the standards of your average jaikie on Union Street or the Sautmarket. Before the alcohol pricing controls came in in particular, you could get smashed far more cheaply on other stuff, and I believe the differential is still there even now if not so marked. (Sudden thought: does the origin of Buckie correlate with its sales in Glasgow to different football club supporters? Never heard of such a thing, though.)
Hard to see how anyone can drink it.
I once tried what was alleged to be Peruvian beer. Disgusting stuff.
I don't agree that drunkenness in the UK is frowned upon. It (drunkenness) is often seen as a badge of honour and the vernacular around getting drunk shows that it is perceived as at least not socially unacceptable.
Yes, but a bit less amongst the youth of today (I gather).
I fully expect the Aussies to bowl underarm and use Mankads in the remaining three tests.
No wonder they play in yellow.
I spoke with a friend who was at Lords, in the MCC at the time (he claims he was asleep at the time of the subsequent incident but he has been known to wear a cream linen jacket and isn't in the first flush of youth so I'll wait to see the charge sheet). He explained what was going on.
Something about transference by England fans for their awful performance in throwing away now two tests and with no one, until that happened, to blame but the England team.
"The third party at Westminster is allowed two questions every week at PMQs. The fourth party gets one every five weeks so this is very important."
Feels like maybe the fourth party should be given slightly more questions.
I wondered who the fourth party has been historically.
1959: the only fourth party was a solitary independent Conservative 1964: no fourth party 1966: Republican Labour (with 1 MP) 1970: Unity (with 2 MPs) Feb 1974: UUP/SNP tie Oct 1974: SNP 1979-2001: UUP 2005: DUP 2010: DUP 2015: LibDem/DUP tie (who got the question?) 2017 onwards: LibDem
And there you have it. Who the hell wants to listen to the DUP more than once a month?
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations" https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
Of course they defeated Germany, they never defeated Britain.
Not really true, given our efforts in the civil war post WWI.
The Orkney news is being carried by worldwide news outlets, which shows just how much tripe is pumped out by the news media.
It’s silly season stuff.
On one level it silly season, but on another level I can see why they are doing it - they've never really regarded themselves as Scottish, hate the lack of money the Scottish Government gives them and need a whole new set of ferries in a hurry because the old ones are dying
A deracinated Orcadian tweets.
He lives in Glasgow and writes for the Herald - and given thaty he hasn't provided a source for his quote I'll treat it with the respect it deserves.
For reference my family traces it's roots to Orkney / Shetland and still has members there - none of whom can stand the SNP..
"New Conservatives Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP, James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP, Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
"New Conservatives Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP, James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP, Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
Any odds on some twunks from Just Stop Oil trying to orange centre court? Anyone know what kind of paint they use and if its oil based?
The hypocrisy you're looking for wouldn't be there in any case. If your point is that oil is ruining everything, and you used an oil-based product to ruin something, that's a good way of making your point.
Which isn't to say they'd be doing the right thing, but the palpable desperation of some people to find some superficial hypocrisy ("HE'S GOT AN IPHONE!!!2!!") to avoid engaging in the substance of the issue is... weak.
I don't think it is impossible to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. I harbour a nasty suspicion that many of the just stop oil louts are scientifically illiterate, in it for the attention, and often from wealthy backgrounds. Its like celebs flying in from the US to join marches against climate change.
True. But I also think 'oh they're all just precious rich kids' is often a mental technique people use to mitigate the guilt they might otherwise feel about not caring as much or doing as much about the issue as a big part of them knows they really ought to. Similar to 'they'll just spend it on booze and fags' to justify not giving money to beggars.
BiB
What are we to do when the lumpen proletariat doesn't give a flying fuck about the imminent catastrophic climate change and just want to drive their white van to work?
Well that's a specific of the general tension which often arises between what people want to do individually and what's best for society. One of the important functions of democratic politics and government is to resolve this tension in a way that fuses personal freedom and collective responsibility, and is informed by evidence and facts. Oh yes.
What we do to get the lumpen proletariat on board is what the grown-ups have been doing for about 20 years i.e. gradually making the non-oil offer better and cheaper than the oil offer.
I'd say what we don't do is send the worst people in the world in to make their commutes a misery and/or disrupt sporting events they may be watching. I'm no marketer, but I suspect that might be counterproductive. Cutting oil use is a not inconsiderable part of my job and is something I feel quite keen on. And yet when some p*ssed-up nutter barges into a JSO protest with a chant of "We love you oil, we do", I know whose side I am instinctively on. Because JSO are just so bloody dislikeable.
But are you ever *instinctively* on the side of a disruptive left wing protest movement in the UK?
BREAKING: Partygate investigator Sue Gray broke civil service rules “as a result of the undeclared contact” between her and the Labour Party, according to a Whitehall investigation. https://twitter.com/TalkTV/status/1675807612070252545
Boy, Simon Case really is as nasty and vindictive as he's useless isn't he?
I understand "prima facie" breach of the Civil Service code to mean, they really, really want it to be the case, but are annoyed they have zero evidence, so will pretend she is in breach anyway.
On the cricket thing. I looked at the clip, and possibly for the first time in my life studied cricket seriously. It was clear Bairstow wasn't paying attention. On the presumption the rule is there for a purpose, my inexpert take, rookie error and Bairstow should be kicking himself, and that's it.
My reactionary father-in-law was in a lather yesterday but for once he seems to have a point.
He's been on 20mg statins for over ten years and went to collect his repeat prescription at the usual chemist to be told that there is a national shortage of 20mg statin tablets. The chemist said they had tried to source in multiple places but none can be found. The answer, he said, is simple enough - have two 10mg tablets instead, there are plenty of those available.
But - guess what - the chemist refused to dispense as the repeat prescription states 20mg tablet rather than 2x 10mg tablets and sent father-in-law back to his GP for a new prescription (this was Saturday and surgery was closed and he had almost run out of tablets).
Good use of GP time there then.
Will change in a few years as all qualifying pharmacists become able to prescribe - they would change that prescription for him. They cannot legally do that at the current time.
Because the size of the tablets was on the original prescription. As opposed to “20mg per day”. The latter is possible - had it done for a family prescription.
A comic example of the effect of literalism - on a firearms certificate there may or may not be a limit on calibre. These days one is always put in. Older certificates often don’t have them. There is no process for the police to *force* adding a calibre limit.
The main gun of a tank is, legally, a really big manual firearm - you have to do a bunch of steps at each shot. So, if you have a firearms certificate without calibre limit, it is completely legal to own a tank with a “live” main gun.
HE and AP ammo is explicitly banned for purchase by FAC holders. So unless your tank can fire round shot (it can't) it's useless as a weapon.
"New Conservatives Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP, James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP, Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
"New Conservatives Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP, James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP, Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
"New Conservatives Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP, James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP, Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
Comments
Clearly no common sense to question whether there was an error on the prescription.
Sussex PCSO filmed refusing to attend assault at shop
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-66086890
How many things in this country are broken due to people having that attitude?
"We are sorry for the clumsy language used by the PCSO"
1. Just Stop Oil protest
2. Lyon injured for remainder of series.
3. Lyon batting on one leg.
4. Starc non catch
5. Bairstow stumping.
6. One of the all time great 4th innings from Stokes. (Who deserved MOTM I thought)
Item : we have a shortage of cheap labour
Item : conditions in Rwandan (and other African) jails are horrendous.
Solution : we pay Rwanda et al to import as many criminals as they can send us, for a modest fee each. They can be given useful work (unpaid) decently fed and housed.
Addendum: the port of entry should be in Bristol, where a statue to the genius of my proposal shall be erected. Paid for by a percentage of the profits of said trade.
Although, with statins, missing a couple of days is going to do very little, I'd've thought. (Not a medical doctor, not a pharmacist. Please seek your own medical advice.)
A comic example of the effect of literalism - on a firearms certificate there may or may not be a limit on calibre. These days one is always put in. Older certificates often don’t have them. There is no process for the police to *force* adding a calibre limit.
The main gun of a tank is, legally, a really big manual firearm - you have to do a bunch of steps at each shot. So, if you have a firearms certificate without calibre limit, it is completely legal to own a tank with a “live” main gun.
Edit: By some margin. And they're also no slouches when it comes to wine and spirit consumption.
Economic theory says that - especially in the case of broadly fungible goods like petrol/diesel - where there are multiple retailers and a gap opens up between the price of the good and the retail price, the price will be forced down as retailers compete on price.
In practice, I think this does happen, but slowly. Inertia is overlooked as factor, and so things happen slowly.
My guess is that the lag between the price of a good dropping and the retail price dropping is no more laggy in fuel than any other sector - but in fuel the cost prices swing much more wildly, which allows for long gaps between the price of fuel falling and the retail price falling.
But that's only a guess. Any more informed comment is welcome!
However - death from 'alcohol use disorder' might be the key here. If every Czech pretty much has pilsner on their corn flakes every morning, what constitutes a disorder?
E.g. Bulgaria drinks like a fish (other sources confirm) but the map says nobody dies of it. Rubbish map.
A bit like Covid statistics.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/07/03/frontline-report-russian-defense-in-zaporizhzhia-oblast-gradually-deteriorates-under-ukraines-pressure/
Almost like Private Equity is bad for customers...
My suspicion is there is a garage somewhere nearby selling dodgy stuff (or non-taxed) which is driving the price down very fast among the others to try and keep custom.
🇷🇺 TV says Prigozhin may have been targeted by a 🇬🇧 psyop:"They gave him a sense of euphoria+meaning. For that you don't even need to get inside someone. You just have to repeat it over+over again, playing on their vanity...It's the 🇬🇧 who are the masters of cognitive operations"
https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1675791456773058560
Stalin, of course, believed Britain a greater threat than Germany in the late 1930s.
I know where's cheapest in my locality (Asda) - so if I have the luxury of planning a refuel in advance, that's where I'll go, at some point when I'm passing. But even though I'm quite interested, I'm not interested enough to be a ble to say how much diesel is there right now.
The market is far less price sensitive that you'd assume would be the case. A saving of 2p a litre isn't really worth driving 2 miles out of your way for.
You'll be telling me next that Case is a twat.
Round here there are a couple of garages in Bishop / West Auckland that work that way
It’s a failure to regulate oligopoly.
I always thought little hotspots like this were because you were close to an oil terminus, but your theory makes more sense.
Edward IV drank himself to death.
He had his brother drowned in a barrel of wine.
*yeah, yeah, 'UK' - they no doubt think we're united, too
Well, being carried on a bier.
As with all other regulators in the UK they appear to be utterly incompetent....
It’s silly season stuff.
He's going to be the first L Prime Minister after 5 C ones.
My other response to I before E except after C is to say that expression still surviving shows we live in a weird society.
*I'd rather be dead than drink Bell's, and not just because of the UJ.
There was a guy in Cardiff in the 1980s called Curly Humphreys. He owned a chain of discount stores called Hyper Value. He set up a petrol retailer called Action Stations, he had two outlets, one in Cowbridge Road, Cardiff and one in Dinas Powis. He played the Rotterdam spot markets and was always up to ten pence a GALLON cheaper than Shell, BP, Texaco and Esso. As I recall his enterprise kept going for a while until they squeezed him out with cheaper prices. When he was gone they reverted to type, and price.
Rishi Sunak accuses Australia of breaching spirit of cricket with Jonny Bairstow stumping
Prime Minister does not plan to speak to his Australian counterpart about controversial incident on Sunday of Lord's Test
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2023/07/03/ashes-rishi-sunak-prime-minister-jonny-bairstow-stumping/
No wonder they play in yellow.
Something about transference by England fans for their awful performance in throwing away now two tests and with no one, until that happened, to blame but the England team.
For reference my family traces it's roots to Orkney / Shetland and still has members there - none of whom can stand the SNP..
Common Sense for the Common Good
Gareth Bacon MP, Duncan Baker MP, Jack Brereton MP, Paul Bristow MP, Miriam Cates MP,
Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, James Daly MP, Anna Firth MP, Nick Fletcher MP, Chris Green MP,
James Grundy MP, Jonathan Gullis MP, Eddie Hughes MP, Tom Hunt MP, Mark Jenkinson MP,
Danny Kruger MP, Andrew Lewer MP, Marco Longhi MP, Robin Millar MP, Lia Nici MP"
https://www.thenewconservatives.co.uk/
On the cricket thing. I looked at the clip, and possibly for the first time in my life studied cricket seriously. It was clear Bairstow wasn't paying attention. On the presumption the rule is there for a purpose, my inexpert take, rookie error and Bairstow should be kicking himself, and that's it.
Ideally those "new Conservatives" should be amongst the first to lose their seat at the next election if that is all they care about.