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The Tories tighter than evens to retain Mid Bedfordshire – politicalbetting.com

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  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    Sandpit said:

    theakes said:

    By Elections, another thought heavy storms and wet weather all day Thursday, could impact major on the result and throw the outcome onto the Postal Vote which should be mainly Conservative.
    If the gales are really severe the by elections might get called off.

    Source for “elections may be called off”?
    Theakes. The man on the internet.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Don't go to Armenia. There they have special wolfhounds - some kind of primitive breed dating back to Gobekli Tepe - and they have been known to take on and kill enormous bears. And they are all over the Caucasian uplands, they aren't rare. And they are exceptionally truculent
    Ah I see I am repeating what you just said,. Ignore me. I am simultaneously trying to talk to my Gazette editor and order olive oil. A recipe for incoherence
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,001

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Given that cattle will weigh around ten times as much as dogs, or more, and, as herbivores, will produce more excrement per kg of body mass, I think it's simply a case of not being able to find the dog shit among the cow pats.
    Seriously though, I can count on one finger the dog shits I’ve seen on the street since arriving here on Saturday. Yet walk down my inner-suburban road in Brockley (or worse still a street in Paris) and you can’t move for the stuff. Yet the streets are full of lolloping stray dogs. But ones with clearly better toilet habits than the dog-owners of Brockley.

    I wouldn’t mind betting a large proportion of dog excrement in inner London is from the same dogs (ie the same owners) we’re taking about here. People who see a scary dog as some sort of penis enlargement.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192
    AlistairM said:

    Almost 30 years old and still very effective. Manufactured date - October 1996.

    ...and here it is.

    The remains of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile in the vicinity of the Russia-controlled Berdyansk Airport in southeastern Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1714286778658734358

    Either Biden is still pretty good at OpSec, or they just didn't tell him they were being sent...
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,595
    Cicero said:

    rcs1000 said:

    IanB2 said:

    Labour is the Soviet troops arriving after the Poles were finally rescued from the Nazis.

    Just be careful what you wish for, because it might not be what you expect.

    I have no idea what you mean - who rescued which Poles?
    Warsaw Uprising, maybe.
    They weren't rescued. They were massacred whilst the Russians waited on the other side of the river.

    Making sure the Poles were in no condition to resist once the war was over.
    Sadly, this is completely true. Stalin chose to let the Nazis put down down the Warsaw uprising.
    Following on from the earlier mention of 34 RAF planes being lost during the resupply operation, the Russians even went so far as to ban British planes from landing in Russian controlled territory during the operation so that they had to take off from the UK and land in Italy. This massively reduced the amunt of cargo they could carry because of fuel issues.

    It is no wonder the Poles hated the Russians
    "Hate". Russia no longer has any friendly neighbours. Even the Chinese are faintly contemptuous.
    Putin’s in China at the moment, trying to persuade a nonplussed Xi to give him some weapons.

    To be fair to him, Xi has prevented WWIII so far with his studied indifference to the Ukraine conflict. It’s obviously very much in China’s interests to see a militarily weakened Russia in the medium term.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,689
    Nigelb said:

    AlistairM said:

    Almost 30 years old and still very effective. Manufactured date - October 1996.

    ...and here it is.

    The remains of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile in the vicinity of the Russia-controlled Berdyansk Airport in southeastern Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1714286778658734358

    Either Biden is still pretty good at OpSec, or they just didn't tell him they were being sent...
    There's some interesting speculation about events in Israel possibly making the White House more hawkish on Ukraine.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    There are no gales forecast for the areas of the by-elections on Thursday and there’s likely to be a window of drier weather during the day .

    Bad weather is more likely to suppress those in the Tory camp who aren’t likely to be that motivated .

    Those wanting to give the Tories a good kicking are more likely to turn out.

    It’s still a big feat to take this seat . The funniest outcome would be the Tories coming third !
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    I saw one about 18 months ago before I knew what they were and it was seriously scary.

    I was running alonside a canal and someone was walking one coming in the other direction (without a lead). As I got closer and could see the dog more clearly I briefly considered turning around but didn't want to give it a target so decided just to stop running and walk past.
    Imagine living on a rough estate, with kids, with one of those next door

    That's what boils my blood. The arrogant selfishness of it. "Oh yeah so you'll have to live in terror 24/7 and you can't let your kids play in the garden in case my dog eats them oh well fuck it LOL"

    Those are the people who really suffer. Poorer people who have these vile dogs in the neighborhood, on their street, in their parks

    GET RID OF THEM
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,585
    theakes said:

    Nick Palmer: what happens to your argument or gripe if the Lib Dems win. Labour were enormously buoyed by the Selby result but there the Lib Dems stood back, on reflection they probably think that was a mistake.
    I like the alleged views of "The Godalming three", when it comes to the General I guess there is nowhere else for them to go except Lib Dem, especially if the Conservatives have picked up nationally by then.
    All fun and games eh.

    The LDs never had any chance of winning Selby.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,428
    edited October 2023

    Sandpit said:

    theakes said:

    By Elections, another thought heavy storms and wet weather all day Thursday, could impact major on the result and throw the outcome onto the Postal Vote which should be mainly Conservative.
    If the gales are really severe the by elections might get called off.

    Source for “elections may be called off”?
    Theakes. The man on the internet.
    What gales? Not expecting things to be 'that' severe. We are British for God's sake.
  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 3,007
    Many of the comments here from a prolific poster remind me of those who were called "anti-anti-Communists" during the late stages of the Cold War. They focused on restricting the Western responses to the Soviet challenges, attacking, for example, Reagan's proposed anti-ballistic systems. If they could have, they would have prolonged the Cold War.

    Those who want peace, will, instead of attacking Israel, call on Hamas to release the hostages immediately, stop firing rockets into Israel, and arrest, try, and execute those who murdered civilians in Israel.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    edited October 2023
    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    Andy_JS said:

    theakes said:

    Nick Palmer: what happens to your argument or gripe if the Lib Dems win. Labour were enormously buoyed by the Selby result but there the Lib Dems stood back, on reflection they probably think that was a mistake.
    I like the alleged views of "The Godalming three", when it comes to the General I guess there is nowhere else for them to go except Lib Dem, especially if the Conservatives have picked up nationally by then.
    All fun and games eh.

    The LDs never had any chance of winning Selby.
    They seem to think they are entitled to win every by-election going.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192
    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192

    Many of the comments here from a prolific poster remind me of those who were called "anti-anti-Communists" during the late stages of the Cold War. They focused on restricting the Western responses to the Soviet challenges, attacking, for example, Reagan's proposed anti-ballistic systems. If they could have, they would have prolonged the Cold War.

    Those who want peace, will, instead of attacking Israel, call on Hamas to release the hostages immediately, stop firing rockets into Israel, and arrest, try, and execute those who murdered civilians in Israel.

    Hamas were those who murdered civilians in Israel, so I don't think that's going to work.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,595
    edited October 2023
    Looks like South Africa’s batsmen are going to have to bat as deep as the Dutch did earlier. 89/5
  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 3,007
    Nigelb _ Of course I don't think it will happen -- but I do think that my modest proposal would bring peace. (Wasn't there an Italian thinker who mentioned a similar idea about eliminating subordinates, after they had done their dirty work?)
  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,316
    Leon said:

    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."

    What’s it going to take to do something about this? Clearly the dangerous dogs act is not fit for purpose - drawing up a legally viable definition of a breed is apparently beyond the government’s abilities.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,107
    Pulpstar said:

    viewcode said:

    Andy_JS said:

    FT article on the Tamworth by-election. Can be viewed via google.

    https://www.ft.com/content/b9a743ac-a7dd-4806-a461-b457df8e3999

    Non-paywall link; https://archive.ph/9EdWS
    Those archive.ph links aren't working fyi.
    Works for me (chrome browser on a laptop)
  • Phil said:

    Leon said:

    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."

    What’s it going to take to do something about this? Clearly the dangerous dogs act is not fit for purpose - drawing up a legally viable definition of a breed is apparently beyond the government’s abilities.
    Don't worry, Rishi will ban them by the end of the year, with their record of successful implementation what could possibly go wrong?
  • Nigelb said:

    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559

    Vote Tory or Fuck Off.

    Told you.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,418

    Nigelb said:

    AlistairM said:

    Almost 30 years old and still very effective. Manufactured date - October 1996.

    ...and here it is.

    The remains of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile in the vicinity of the Russia-controlled Berdyansk Airport in southeastern Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1714286778658734358

    Either Biden is still pretty good at OpSec, or they just didn't tell him they were being sent...
    There's some interesting speculation about events in Israel possibly making the White House more hawkish on Ukraine.
    What's the logic behind that speculation?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Phil said:

    Leon said:

    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."

    What’s it going to take to do something about this? Clearly the dangerous dogs act is not fit for purpose - drawing up a legally viable definition of a breed is apparently beyond the government’s abilities.
    TBF I have done a bit of Googling and the relevant government dept is having an emergency meeting this week - convening experts and vets to get a definition, so they can enact the ban. But really they need to get a wiggle on

    AFAICS looking at the news, in the last week alone, in five different attacks, Bully XLs have hospitalised four people, attacked one group of primary school children, and forced another school to evacuate. WTAF

    That's one week!
  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 3,007
    FPT: Cyclefree - I was distressed to hear about the incident you described, as it is more evidence for my opinion that the worst domestic problem in the US (and perhaps in the UK) is that too many men don't want to treat women right. There are all sorts of reasons behind that problem, and not all of them are the fault of men here. but most of them are.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,873
    edited October 2023

    Nigelb said:

    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559

    Vote Tory or Fuck Off.

    Told you.
    Hmm, rather left the 'and die' to be inferred, no? (He may not have intended that, but it is sure there for others to fill in.)
  • Andy_JS said:

    theakes said:

    Nick Palmer: what happens to your argument or gripe if the Lib Dems win. Labour were enormously buoyed by the Selby result but there the Lib Dems stood back, on reflection they probably think that was a mistake.
    I like the alleged views of "The Godalming three", when it comes to the General I guess there is nowhere else for them to go except Lib Dem, especially if the Conservatives have picked up nationally by then.
    All fun and games eh.

    The LDs never had any chance of winning Selby.
    They seem to think they are entitled to win every by-election going.
    I know some people on all sides do this, but it just comes across as incredibly weird to have a dig at an opponent as being "entitled" simply for trying to win an election.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,001
    Anyway you’ll be pleased to know the reputation of the UK in the Southern Caucasus remains vague, but positive. Some feedback from a drunken man in Kutaisi Central Park on Sunday to ponder.

    “England is good country. George Best. Or Bobby Charlton. Who is the best? George Best like Maradona. Liverpool, Manchester United. Not as good as Deutschland. Deutchland is best, great country. But England good. London good. Were you from? Near Millwall? Very good.”
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,418

    Andy_JS said:

    theakes said:

    Nick Palmer: what happens to your argument or gripe if the Lib Dems win. Labour were enormously buoyed by the Selby result but there the Lib Dems stood back, on reflection they probably think that was a mistake.
    I like the alleged views of "The Godalming three", when it comes to the General I guess there is nowhere else for them to go except Lib Dem, especially if the Conservatives have picked up nationally by then.
    All fun and games eh.

    The LDs never had any chance of winning Selby.
    They seem to think they are entitled to win every by-election going.
    I know some people on all sides do this, but it just comes across as incredibly weird to have a dig at an opponent as being "entitled" simply for trying to win an election.
    Indeed. What's entitled is thinking you can order voters to vote for different parties at your whim, rather than, y'know, for the party and candidate that they would prefer to win.
  • Nigelb said:

    AlistairM said:

    Almost 30 years old and still very effective. Manufactured date - October 1996.

    ...and here it is.

    The remains of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile in the vicinity of the Russia-controlled Berdyansk Airport in southeastern Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1714286778658734358

    Either Biden is still pretty good at OpSec, or they just didn't tell him they were being sent...
    There's some interesting speculation about events in Israel possibly making the White House more hawkish on Ukraine.
    What's the logic behind that speculation?
    That perceived weakness strengthens the agents of chaos?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,873
    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Eaten by the pigs, maybe? ISTR it happens.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,219
    Leon said:

    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."

    If you, me and a few others roam the country with guns shooting Bullys on site what would we be looking at when caught - jail time? What's the worst case scenario legal-wise here?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192

    Nigelb said:

    AlistairM said:

    Almost 30 years old and still very effective. Manufactured date - October 1996.

    ...and here it is.

    The remains of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missile in the vicinity of the Russia-controlled Berdyansk Airport in southeastern Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1714286778658734358

    Either Biden is still pretty good at OpSec, or they just didn't tell him they were being sent...
    There's some interesting speculation about events in Israel possibly making the White House more hawkish on Ukraine.
    What's the logic behind that speculation?
    That perceived weakness strengthens the agents of chaos?
    More likely they just worked out, as the missiles were scheduled for destruction, having reached the end of their shelf lives, they could put them through the books as a saving to the US, so they wouldn't breach the aid authorisation limit.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,448
    edited October 2023
    O/t but.
    Just had a weird scam email, purportedly from Norton Security, alleging that I’ve paid them 322 USD.
    Which I haven’t, especially as I use Mac! I think the scammers simply wanted me to be in contact and confirm my email address.
    And yes, I’ve told my bank.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,873
    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    This news is just an hour old

    "Dog shot dead at school after attacking woman was XL Bully"

    https://x.com/itvnews/status/1714291714851229767?s=20

    The words "dog shot dead" and "school" should not be in the same news headline. Somethng hideous is going to happen soon


    Jeez. The details:


    "A dog shot dead in the grounds of a primary school after attacking its owner was an XL Bully, police have confirmed.

    Officers were called after reports of a woman "screaming for help" as she was attacked by her own pet in her back garden in the village of Brisley in Norfolk at 3pm on Monday.

    They arrived to find the woman in her 60s being mauled by the animal, which then escaped from the house in Gately Road and was hunted down to the car park of a nearby primary school."

    If you, me and a few others roam the country with guns shooting Bullys on site what would we be looking at when caught - jail time? What's the worst case scenario legal-wise here?
    6months and/or 20K? A few surprises here - including the finding that it's illegal to shoot a foxhound pack even if it is killing your sheep etc.

    https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/law-shooting-dogs-critical-facts-farmers-must-know

    And of course carrying guns in public and shooting anything near a public road ...
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,202
    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
  • O/t but.
    Just had a weird scam email, purportedly from Norton Security, alleging that I’ve paid them 322 USD.
    Which I haven’t, especially as I use Mac!

    Norton has weird pricing where you might pay £20 per year but if you renew automatically it is three figures per year, but you have to remember to cancel. So scam is to get you panicking you forgot to cancel and desperate enough to resolve that you will give out details to their fake linked website.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,202

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    I saw one about 18 months ago before I knew what they were and it was seriously scary.

    I was running alonside a canal and someone was walking one coming in the other direction (without a lead). As I got closer and could see the dog more clearly I briefly considered turning around but didn't want to give it a target so decided just to stop running and walk past.
    That must have been concerning.
  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,316

    O/t but.
    Just had a weird scam email, purportedly from Norton Security, alleging that I’ve paid them 322 USD.
    Which I haven’t, especially as I use Mac! I think the scammers simply wanted me to be in contact and confirm my email address.
    And yes, I’ve told my bank.

    It’s a variant on the Amazon Prime scam. For some reason they always quote a figure for the annual payment which isn’t the amount Amazon would actually charge you - presumably to filter out the naturally suspicious as early as possible.
  • . . . meanwhile under the Big Top in Our Nation's Capital (and also Capitol) . . .

    House of Representatives will so "come to order" (in some sense, maybe, perhaps) for yet another thrilling show, by Donald Trump's Rabid Flying Squirrel Circus.

    NYT live blog:

    The House chamber is now open and members are beginning to enter. Some members of the House Freedom Caucus who ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and now support Jim Jordan are sitting in a group toward the back of the chamber.

    https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/17/us/house-speaker-jim-jordan-vote

    official US House live stream
    https://live.house.gov/

    SSI - Deposed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's Mini-Me, Speakeasy Pro Tempramental Patrick McHenry is in the chair, banging the gavel.

    No clue what/who/where/how Matt Gaetz is banging at this time.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,201
    Pulpstar said:

    Taz said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Miraculous recovery by Netherlands from 82/5 to 245/8, v South Africa.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket

    South Africa "C" versus South Africa.
    That said, not convinced this is as easy for the Saffers as the market thinks it is.
    *Cough*
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,448

    O/t but.
    Just had a weird scam email, purportedly from Norton Security, alleging that I’ve paid them 322 USD.
    Which I haven’t, especially as I use Mac!

    Norton has weird pricing where you might pay £20 per year but if you renew automatically it is three figures per year, but you have to remember to cancel. So scam is to get you panicking you forgot to cancel and desperate enough to resolve that you will give out details to their fake linked website.
    You could well be right. They had a strange contact number, too. 803 as the country number.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,001
    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,200
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    With previous bans in other countries they are taken to dog homes, and euthanised by vets

    Rather tough on the dogs, it should be the owners who REDACTED
    But won't the breed die out if nobody can own them and they can't be strays? I mean, what's left?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,448
    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Taz said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Miraculous recovery by Netherlands from 82/5 to 245/8, v South Africa.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket

    South Africa "C" versus South Africa.
    That said, not convinced this is as easy for the Saffers as the market thinks it is.
    *Cough*
    Getting tougher for them, too.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    With previous bans in other countries they are taken to dog homes, and euthanised by vets

    Rather tough on the dogs, it should be the owners who REDACTED
    But won't the breed die out if nobody can own them and they can't be strays? I mean, what's left?
    Yes, that's the ultimate purpose. They will go extinct in the UK. Hopefully
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,200
    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    Could you take one down, Topping, do you think? If you had to.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Don't go to Armenia. There they have special wolfhounds - some kind of primitive breed dating back to Gobekli Tepe - and they have been known to take on and kill enormous bears. And they are all over the Caucasian uplands, they aren't rare. And they are exceptionally truculent
    Ah I see I am repeating what you just said,. Ignore me. I am simultaneously trying to talk to my Gazette editor and order olive oil. A recipe for incoherence
    I travelled in the far east of Turkey as a kid - my parents were a bit hippy-ish so it was a rent-a-car and see what happens sort of deal; we went from Van (where I was laid up with measles for a while!) right up to the Armenian border (which was then the USSR, which dates it). I was only four or five so don't remember a huge amount, but I do remember clearly the packs of wild dogs that chased the car. Probably the first time I'd seen my dad scared of anything.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,275
    The Tory candidate in Tamworth is now trying to spin this as only those buying what he thinks as luxuries should fxck off if they can’t feed the kids . But in his Facebook post he also thinks those out of work should fxck off aswell .

    Ironically if he manages to dupe people that it’s the former only he might avoid any damage and it might even help him with the Lee Anderson contingent .
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,312
    I see that it's not just Egypt. Jordan too is refusing to take any Palestinians fleeing from Gaza.

    If Israel really is a Nazi state as some describe it, if they really are planning a genocide of Palestinians, then all these surrounding Arab states are behaving much like European states did in the 1930's. Turning a blind eye to impending evil. And so, indirectly responsible for it.

    Or being massive hypocrites who don't give two hoots about Palestinians or see them as a menace to their societies.

    Which one is it?

  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,200
    Dura_Ace said:

    kinabalu said:


    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?

    There are societal limits on what the government could do even if it were motivated and competent - which this government is not.

    They can ban the breed but they'll have to wait for all of the existing ones to cross the Bifrost Bridge as they can't set up a doggie Auschwitz to eliminate them all.
    Yep. No easy answers (as per).
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    Could you take one down, Topping, do you think? If you had to.
    I dunno about @TOPPING but I would not be remotely confident of fending off one of these brutes, especially a big one - they can weight 9 stone - and that's 9 stone of total solid muscle and ferocious jaw strength

    Without a weapon to hand, I am pretty sure I would lose
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,254
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
    I did too, but isn't it rather too full of Russians at the moment?
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    TBF many (most?) towns and cities in the US are not really walkable. NYC obvs, but also DC, SF, Portland and Baltimore in my experience. You can walk a bit in LA, but you'd be kind of missing the point.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.
  • ajbajb Posts: 147
    edited October 2023
    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486
    Yet again, PBers proving that they fundamentally misunderstand the dynamics of the FPP system, and prefer to shape their strategies not to the way elections are run, but to the way they wish they were run.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,200
    Leon said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    I saw one about 18 months ago before I knew what they were and it was seriously scary.

    I was running alonside a canal and someone was walking one coming in the other direction (without a lead). As I got closer and could see the dog more clearly I briefly considered turning around but didn't want to give it a target so decided just to stop running and walk past.
    Imagine living on a rough estate, with kids, with one of those next door

    That's what boils my blood. The arrogant selfishness of it. "Oh yeah so you'll have to live in terror 24/7 and you can't let your kids play in the garden in case my dog eats them oh well fuck it LOL"

    Those are the people who really suffer. Poorer people who have these vile dogs in the neighborhood, on their street, in their parks

    GET RID OF THEM
    Well you know what they say ... dogs are a good way of eating people.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    Could you take one down, Topping, do you think? If you had to.
    I dunno about @TOPPING but I would not be remotely confident of fending off one of these brutes, especially a big one - they can weight 9 stone - and that's 9 stone of total solid muscle and ferocious jaw strength

    Without a weapon to hand, I am pretty sure I would lose
    Fighting dogs (not just bullies) would almost always be able to take down an unarmed and unprotected person. It's one of the reasons police dog units can be very good at crowd control - we realise this at an instinctive level.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    ajb said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
    Personally I would ban all pets. Full stop. It's cruel and selfish. Living creatures kept in some kind of servitude for our amusement, and fucking up the environment and killing all the wildlife as a by product. I think pet owners - especially of dogs and cats - are self indulgent wankers. I'm fine with working animals

    However I accept this is something of a niche position and I do not intend to stand for parliament on this manifesto

    We can, nonetheless, do baby steps. Banning Bully XLs is one of those
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,200
    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    Could you take one down, Topping, do you think? If you had to.
    I dunno about @TOPPING but I would not be remotely confident of fending off one of these brutes, especially a big one - they can weight 9 stone - and that's 9 stone of total solid muscle and ferocious jaw strength

    Without a weapon to hand, I am pretty sure I would lose
    Me too. No chance. But we're not ex army.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    ajb said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
    I cycled to the shop earlier today and got lunged and barked at by a big old dog on the pavement as I went past.

    "Sorry, he doesn't do bikes!" laughed the owner.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    edited October 2023
    In US House, quorum call nearly finished . . . with 5 Republicans and 3 Democrats not (yet) voting as present.

    At this moment voting present, 216 Republicans, 209 Democrats.

    EDIT now 4 Reps, 3 Dems not voting, thus 217 Reps, 209 Dems present.

    RE-EDIT now 4 Reps, 2 Dems not voting, thus 217 Reps, 210 Dems present.

    RE-RE-EDIT now 3 reps, 1 Dem not voting, thus 218 Reps, 211 Dems present.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,030
    Nigelb said:

    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559

    Tories getting policy inspiration from old Viz T-shirts:

    Left school?
    No job?
    No money?
    Then fuck off.

    https://www.moretvicar.com/products/gnatwest-t-shirt
  • MattWMattW Posts: 23,217
    edited October 2023
    Ghedebrav said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    TBF many (most?) towns and cities in the US are not really walkable. NYC obvs, but also DC, SF, Portland and Baltimore in my experience. You can walk a bit in LA, but you'd be kind of missing the point.
    There's a fun little video called "Why I hate Houston", all about that. Here's a deep link :smile: .

    https://youtu.be/uxykI30fS54?t=144
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    kinabalu said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    Could you take one down, Topping, do you think? If you had to.
    I dunno about @TOPPING but I would not be remotely confident of fending off one of these brutes, especially a big one - they can weight 9 stone - and that's 9 stone of total solid muscle and ferocious jaw strength

    Without a weapon to hand, I am pretty sure I would lose
    Me too. No chance. But we're not ex army.
    As @Ghedebrav says below, I don't think anyone - even a Springbok forward - would have much chance against a big, determined XL Bully - even if you manage to fend off the first attack they are bred to persist, beyond all reason, so they will keep coming at you even if you rip an ear off

    Your only hope would be to leap to safety, or make some incredibly successful first move: perhaps a drop kick to the head, or the famous eye gouging, but you'd have to be really skiful, and lucky

    Not something I ever want to test
  • kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 4,947
    Leon said:

    ajb said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
    Personally I would ban all pets. Full stop. It's cruel and selfish. Living creatures kept in some kind of servitude for our amusement, and fucking up the environment and killing all the wildlife as a by product. I think pet owners - especially of dogs and cats - are self indulgent wankers. I'm fine with working animals

    However I accept this is something of a niche position and I do not intend to stand for parliament on this manifesto

    We can, nonetheless, do baby steps. Banning Bully XLs is one of those
    I like cats and dogs, they're good companions for lonely people, my neighbour's cats had free run of my place, and their company got me through lockdown, brightening up many a sad afternoon.

    Quite why people keep other animals as pets though, is incomprehensible. Hamsters? You want to share your home wit a small rodent? Rabbits? They're dinner, not pets. And I once dated a girl who was, alas, very keen to take me home and show me her snake. And that is not a euphemism. I cannot understand what drives people to collect these creatures.
  • Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    Your a cheery chap. Imagine getting stuck in a room with you and @Leon. My God, what mental torture.

    Actually, that's possibly a solution for the world's ills. Unleash you and Leon on Putin and the leaders of Hamas like a couple of melancholic Bully XLs. The world's misanthropes will have all committed harakiri within minutes in your combined gloomy company.
  • Andy_JS said:

    theakes said:

    Nick Palmer: what happens to your argument or gripe if the Lib Dems win. Labour were enormously buoyed by the Selby result but there the Lib Dems stood back, on reflection they probably think that was a mistake.
    I like the alleged views of "The Godalming three", when it comes to the General I guess there is nowhere else for them to go except Lib Dem, especially if the Conservatives have picked up nationally by then.
    All fun and games eh.

    The LDs never had any chance of winning Selby.
    They seem to think they are entitled to win every by-election going.
    Err, no. LD members volunteering to help in Rutherglen were asked to join canvassing sessions in Mid Dunbartonshire instead.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192
    Details of the Chicago stabbing being reported from the arraignment proceedings.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-wadea-al-fayoume-death-was-obsessed-israel-hamas-war-prosecuto-rcna120589
    ...Czuba, the boy's mother told investigators, was an "angry" man. His wife, Mary, told investigators that Czuba "listens to conservative talk radio on a regular basis" and became obsessed with the war between Hamas and Israel..

    ...His 32-year-old mother was stabbed a dozen times while trying to protect her son and call for help, police said. She was still recovering at the hospital while mourners gathered for her son's funeral at the Mosque Foundation in suburban Bridgeview.

    Czuba was screaming "you Muslims have to die" when he barged into the ground-floor apartment the mother and son shared in suburban Plainfield, family friend Yousef Hannon told NBC News before the funeral, citing texts she sent to the boy's father. Hannon said Czuba also shouted: "You are killing our kids in Israel. You Palestinians don’t deserve to live."

    Shaheen "didn't have even one percent suspicion he would hurt the child" because Czuba had been like a grandfather to Wadea and even built him a tree house, Hannon said.

    "The child, when he saw Czuba, ran to him for a hug and instead was stabbed 26 times," Hannon said ..
  • Final result US House quorum call

    Reps - present 220, not voting 1
    Dems - present 212, not voting 0
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,761
    edited October 2023
    The latest date for the GE is 28th Jan, not Thurs 23rd.


    "The 17 December 2024 is exactly five years since parliament first met after the last general election, in 2019. If an election has not been called by this point, parliament would be automatically dissolved and the election would take place 25 working days later. This means the latest date for the next general election is 28 January 2025."

    https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/next-general-election
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts
    ·
    Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,585
    edited October 2023
    Looks like Netherlands are going to win this. 147/8.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/66858173
  • Nigelb said:

    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559

    Tories getting policy inspiration from old Viz T-shirts:

    Left school?
    No job?
    No money?
    Then fuck off.

    https://www.moretvicar.com/products/gnatwest-t-shirt
    He is obviously a twat, but then I think that view point is significantly less twattish than the person who until recently led the Labour Party who continues to provide succour and support for baby mutilators.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,107
    edited October 2023
    MY DOG SAFETY ACT

    1. All dogs must be insured by their owners
    2. Any uninsured dog may be taken and destroyed by the authorities
    3. The owners of any uninsured dog will be fined.

    There y'go. You don't do the paperwork. You make somebody else do it and if they don't you kill the dog.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,001
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
    Hopefully. I’m there from next Saturday for 4 nights.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,873
    kyf_100 said:

    Leon said:

    ajb said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
    Personally I would ban all pets. Full stop. It's cruel and selfish. Living creatures kept in some kind of servitude for our amusement, and fucking up the environment and killing all the wildlife as a by product. I think pet owners - especially of dogs and cats - are self indulgent wankers. I'm fine with working animals

    However I accept this is something of a niche position and I do not intend to stand for parliament on this manifesto

    We can, nonetheless, do baby steps. Banning Bully XLs is one of those
    I like cats and dogs, they're good companions for lonely people, my neighbour's cats had free run of my place, and their company got me through lockdown, brightening up many a sad afternoon.

    Quite why people keep other animals as pets though, is incomprehensible. Hamsters? You want to share your home wit a small rodent? Rabbits? They're dinner, not pets. And I once dated a girl who was, alas, very keen to take me home and show me her snake. And that is not a euphemism. I cannot understand what drives people to collect these creatures.
    My family had a tortoise. Kept my dad company in the garden, and needed no attention at all other than the odd strawberry or dandelion. And was reliably 100% out of it for 6 months every year.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Telegraph also reporting that Israel is rethinking an all-out assault on Gaza, for fear of attack from Iran
  • NYT live blog

    When Stefanik [R-Weathervane] quoted the Book of Esther [in her nomination of Jim Jordan for Speaker], Democrats in the chamber groaned. When she attacked President Biden, they audibly groaned again. When Stefanik referenced Jordan’s success on a wrestling mat, Democrats laughed and jeered.

    SSI - Note that Coach Jordan allegedly scored both on AND off the wrestling mat.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts. Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
    ..#UPDATE: According to US defense officials, the troops are assigned missions such as advising and providing medical support, and they are not intended to serve in a combat role..

    The comparison with Vietnam is just silly.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,689
    rcs1000 said:

    TOPPING said:

    As Leon says, when you see these dogs you will know. F&&king huge. Built like cast granite. I am a dog person all the way through but dear god these things are unnatural. I would have no qualms with having them put down. Not their fault they came into existence but we would be better off without them.

    I saw one about 18 months ago before I knew what they were and it was seriously scary.

    I was running alonside a canal and someone was walking one coming in the other direction (without a lead). As I got closer and could see the dog more clearly I briefly considered turning around but didn't want to give it a target so decided just to stop running and walk past.
    That must have been concerning.
    One thing that stood out was that it looked like there was nobody at home. Usually dogs being walked are constantly sniffing things and engaging with the environment, but this one was zombified.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    edited October 2023
    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
    Hopefully. I’m there from next Saturday for 4 nights.
    You didn't go straight there?! Did you go to the winelands first?

    Looks like you'll have perfect weather. Blue skies, warm and sunny

    The Old Town at night is marvellous. The whole city is marvellous
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,312

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    Your a cheery chap. Imagine getting stuck in a room with you and @Leon. My God, what mental torture.

    Actually, that's possibly a solution for the world's ills. Unleash you and Leon on Putin and the leaders of Hamas like a couple of melancholic Bully XLs. The world's misanthropes will have all committed harakiri within minutes in your combined gloomy company.
    Given what @Ghedebrav posted a few days about his family's position, he has every reason to feel gloomy. A little empathy and kindness would not go amiss to him and others feeling the same way.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,030

    Nigelb said:

    Exclusive: Tory by-election candidate in Tamworth said out-of-work parents struggling to feed kids should 'f*** off'
    https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1714281017962545559

    Tories getting policy inspiration from old Viz T-shirts:

    Left school?
    No job?
    No money?
    Then fuck off.

    https://www.moretvicar.com/products/gnatwest-t-shirt
    He is obviously a twat, but then I think that view point is significantly less twattish than the person who until recently led the Labour Party who continues to provide succour and support for baby mutilators.
    Blair?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192

    Final result US House quorum call

    Reps - present 220, not voting 1
    Dems - present 212, not voting 0

    A man who helped lead a plot to overthrow the results of an American election is poised to become Speaker of the House and second in line to the presidency.

    This should lead every news outlet’s coverage. Not the odds, but the stakes.

    https://twitter.com/ianbassin/status/1714075802973966411
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts. Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
    ..#UPDATE: According to US defense officials, the troops are assigned missions such as advising and providing medical support, and they are not intended to serve in a combat role..

    The comparison with Vietnam is just silly.
    Is it?


    "September 1950 — Truman sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Indochina to Vietnam to assist the French. The President claimed they were not sent as combat troops, but to supervise the use of $10 million worth of U.S. military equipment to support the French in their effort to fight the Viet Minh forces.

    Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Truman announces "acceleration in the furnishing of military assistance to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina...". and sends 123 non-combat troops to help with supplies to fight against the communist Viet Minh."

    And on it goes from there

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_in_the_Vietnam_War
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,486

    The latest date for the GE is 28th Jan, not Thurs 23rd.


    "The 17 December 2024 is exactly five years since parliament first met after the last general election, in 2019. If an election has not been called by this point, parliament would be automatically dissolved and the election would take place 25 working days later. This means the latest date for the next general election is 28 January 2025."

    https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/next-general-election

    28 Jan is a Tuesday. Theoretically elections can be held on any day or the week; in practice they are always held on Thursdays (at least in modern times). So 23 Jan is the latest date effectively.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,419
    166-9 now
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,585
    kyf_100 said:

    Leon said:

    ajb said:

    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    Honestly, when you see one of these disgusting dogs, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about

    As I have said, I saw my first version last night, on Camden High Street. The owner, a little guy of about 5 foot 5 was struggling to get his excitable dog in his crap car. The dog was almost as big as him, and if it ever turned on him it would chew him up in seconds

    They just look evil, even if they are happy and tail-wagging. Because they are bred to be super aggessive and intimidating, and brutally dangerous, that's the whole point of them

    Nothing can change that. You can't put a dress on a shark and make it friendly

    It's difficult to escape the conclusion that most of the owners of these dogs are inadequate people who are using them to try to boost their self esteem in some weird way.
    Yes

    The only owners I feel remotely sorry for are genuinely vulnerable people - single mums on council estates, young women in dodgy areas, old people - who really do feel a need for protection. But there are still plenty of big dogs you CAN buy which will be a challenge to a burglar/robber - a German Shepherd or a Rotweiler will scare almost anyone, but those dogs are not bred to be psychotic and homicidal and too powerful to handle, they are not Bully XLs

    All the other owners are apparently twats or inadequates. Drug dealers. Etc
    My grandparents had a German Shepherd which had to be put down because got out it scared an old lady. No-one should get any of these 'guardian' class dogs unless they are prepared to put a lot of time and money into training it. The role is like that of a policeman, erring in either direction due to inadequate training has bad consequences. But really any dog needs to be trained - even a non-guardian high energy dog is going to cause problems if its owners expect it to be like an appliance that has a set behavior regardless of how you interact with it.

    Watch a few episodes of Cesar Millan's 'Dog Whisperer' or any similar show, and you will see plenty of loving but ignorant owners who have got themselves into serious difficulties with a wide variety of breeds.
    Personally I would ban all pets. Full stop. It's cruel and selfish. Living creatures kept in some kind of servitude for our amusement, and fucking up the environment and killing all the wildlife as a by product. I think pet owners - especially of dogs and cats - are self indulgent wankers. I'm fine with working animals

    However I accept this is something of a niche position and I do not intend to stand for parliament on this manifesto

    We can, nonetheless, do baby steps. Banning Bully XLs is one of those
    I like cats and dogs, they're good companions for lonely people, my neighbour's cats had free run of my place, and their company got me through lockdown, brightening up many a sad afternoon.

    Quite why people keep other animals as pets though, is incomprehensible. Hamsters? You want to share your home wit a small rodent? Rabbits? They're dinner, not pets. And I once dated a girl who was, alas, very keen to take me home and show me her snake. And that is not a euphemism. I cannot understand what drives people to collect these creatures.
    I'm not bothered about other types of pet. Just ban the XL bully.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 13,001
    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
    Hopefully. I’m there from next Saturday for 4 nights.
    You didn't go straight there?! Did you go to the winelands first?

    Looks like you'll have perfect weather. Blue skies, warm and sunny

    The Old Town at night is marvellous. The whole city is marvellous
    Flight logic. Wizz flies to Kutaisi from Gdańsk and gets in same day, so we started there and finish in the East with Kakheti. Back with Turkish via Istanbul.

    Huge amount of anti Russian graffiti as well as blatantly discriminatory retail policies (along lines of “we don’t serve imperialist pigs here”). And T-shirts saying Abkhazia is Georgia in the local backpackers care.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    TimS said:

    Leon said:

    TimS said:

    rcs1000 said:

    TimS said:

    kinabalu said:

    Leon said:

    Stocky said:

    Leon said:

    On another note, a local FB group has just had reports of a XL Bully loose near the end of the path that most of the secondary and primary school kids take - and which I will be taking in less than an hour. It is apparently acting 'aggressively'.

    I wouldn't know a XL Bully if I saw one (compared to, say, a Bulldog), and goodness knows if acting aggressively just meant that it was sitting on the grass licking its own privates.

    But it is another indication that the issue has some cut-through.

    The school has been informed, at least.

    You will know them when you see them. They are absolutely enormous and look like the Dogs from Hell

    They could kill a child in seconds. It is a fucking disgrace that this pathetic government hasn't acted already

    What form should this action take?

    I'd like to see them all put down (plus all other dangerous breeds) but can you imagine the trouble that would cause prising them from the owners and then the government would get a backlash for murdering doggies.
    The Aussies in NSW do it by physical characteristics, not genes, and no one complains and it works fine. You are actually allowed to keep a restricted breed, but with severe limitations, it has to wear a special collar, be neutered, be muzzled in public, and if anything goes wrong there are severe penalties - if it kills someone you will get ten years in jail

    Do that here. Then these idiots can keep their stupid hellhounds but they won't be a menace to anyone else
    One fear is that owners simply abandon their devil dogs which in the short term causes even more danger.
    That's what I was wondering. If you ban them where will they go?
    A few weeks ago Leon posted about the giant devil dogs of Armenia. I can happily report
    that Georgia’s canine population is huge - strays on every street - but seemingly not only well looked after with most having ear tags to signify they’ve been vaccinated for rabies and looking in fine health, but also placid and friendly.

    Happiest stray dogs I’ve ever encountered. They cohabit with equally happy free range cattle and pigs. And weirdly, despite the cowpats on every corner, there’s a distinct lack of dog shit. I think they probably go in the bushes.

    Wow: Atlanta has changed since I was there a few months ago
    I once attempted a walk in Atlanta, and it took about 10 minutes of persuading the hotel staff that I wasn’t completely mad / going to be shot by gangsters if I did the totally weird thing of walking into town rather than getting a cab the mile or so.

    Georgia (republic of) is somewhat more walkable.
    I hope Old Tbilisi is as enchanting as it was when I visited last year... I loved it
    Hopefully. I’m there from next Saturday for 4 nights.
    PS make sure you go to this place

    Stalin's Secret Underground Printing Lair

    https://out-of-eden-walk.nationalgeographic.org/articles/2015-07-stalins-cave/

    The whole experience is brilliant. It's a bit out of town but that adds to the adventure. No one speaks English. You might meet ardent communist disciples. They have Stalin's To Do List. It's fabulous

    You can walk back to the centre via the "Cathedral of Atheism", a weird Brutalist masterpiece/atrocity. Tbilisi is the best, and mmmm the food
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,192
    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts. Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
    ..#UPDATE: According to US defense officials, the troops are assigned missions such as advising and providing medical support, and they are not intended to serve in a combat role..

    The comparison with Vietnam is just silly.
    Is it?

    "September 1950 — Truman sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Indochina to Vietnam to assist the French. The President claimed they were not sent as combat troops, but to supervise the use of $10 million worth of U.S. military equipment to support the French in their effort to fight the Viet Minh forces.

    Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Truman announces "acceleration in the furnishing of military assistance to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina...". and sends 123 non-combat troops to help with supplies to fight against the communist Viet Minh."

    And on it goes from there

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_in_the_Vietnam_War
    Yes, it's stupid.
    Israel will do what it will, with or without the US.

    The French effort to reclaim their former colony after WWII would have been otherwise stillborn without US finance and military aid.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,930
    Nigelb said:

    Final result US House quorum call

    Reps - present 220, not voting 1
    Dems - present 212, not voting 0

    A man who helped lead a plot to overthrow the results of an American election is poised to become Speaker of the House and second in line to the presidency.

    This should lead every news outlet’s coverage. Not the odds, but the stakes.

    https://twitter.com/ianbassin/status/1714075802973966411
    Poised? Doesn’t that imply there’s a very good chance of it happening?
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    edited October 2023
    In US House, voting starting on electing new Speaker, clerk is now calling the roll.

    Candidates - Jim Jordan and Hakim Jeffries.

    One GOP vote already, by Bacon, for McCarthy.

    One Republican, Buck, has passed for the time being, leaving his option open for now.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,429
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts. Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
    ..#UPDATE: According to US defense officials, the troops are assigned missions such as advising and providing medical support, and they are not intended to serve in a combat role..

    The comparison with Vietnam is just silly.
    Is it?

    "September 1950 — Truman sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Indochina to Vietnam to assist the French. The President claimed they were not sent as combat troops, but to supervise the use of $10 million worth of U.S. military equipment to support the French in their effort to fight the Viet Minh forces.

    Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Truman announces "acceleration in the furnishing of military assistance to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina...". and sends 123 non-combat troops to help with supplies to fight against the communist Viet Minh."

    And on it goes from there

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_in_the_Vietnam_War
    Yes, it's stupid.
    Israel will do what it will, with or without the US.

    The French effort to reclaim their former colony after WWII would have been otherwise stillborn without US finance and military aid.
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    If you fancy feeding your anxieties, THIS feels like a really really bad idea

    R A W S A L E R T S
    @rawsalerts. Oct 16
    🚨#BREAKING: The US Military is preparing to send roughly around 2000 troops for potential deployment to support Israel against Gaza.

    https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1713962213814190301

    That's how America's involvement in Vietnam began. "Advisors", "trainers2, "non combatants". Except this seems potentially a whole lot nastier than Vietnam, already
    ..#UPDATE: According to US defense officials, the troops are assigned missions such as advising and providing medical support, and they are not intended to serve in a combat role..

    The comparison with Vietnam is just silly.
    Is it?

    "September 1950 — Truman sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Indochina to Vietnam to assist the French. The President claimed they were not sent as combat troops, but to supervise the use of $10 million worth of U.S. military equipment to support the French in their effort to fight the Viet Minh forces.

    Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Truman announces "acceleration in the furnishing of military assistance to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina...". and sends 123 non-combat troops to help with supplies to fight against the communist Viet Minh."

    And on it goes from there

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_in_the_Vietnam_War
    Yes, it's stupid.
    Israel will do what it will, with or without the US.

    The French effort to reclaim their former colony after WWII would have been otherwise stillborn without US finance and military aid.
    I disagree. Israel will do what it will, of course

    But what happens if Israel's will cannot be enforced? What happens if Israel unexpectedly LOSES in Gaza, and gets pushed back, as Russia did in its invasion of Ukraine? What happens if a second and third front open in the north and the West Bank, and Israel seems imperilled?

    Suddenly the pressure to use those American troops, who are right there and waiting for combat, will be intense

    Then we are heading for WW3 territory
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,585
    Ghedebrav said:

    Everything feels a bid 1913 at the moment. I fear a major conflict is coming.

    Yes, China is just waiting for the right moment to invade Taiwan.
This discussion has been closed.