Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
They should because the government overturning criminal convictions doesn't seem like a very good idea, when it would be easy to do it in the courts and without any opposition. It is within the Trump era phenomenon of disregarding the law and due process for political gain.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
[cut to Sunil force-feeding Luckyguy a bunch of Greggs vegan steak bakes]
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
How is it a 'crazy fantasy'? I'm not proposing that this should happen, it's a historical counterfactual of the type often discussed here. Just you being an unpleasant little turd as usual I suppose.
Because the Southern states would have had even less regard for an imperial Britain holding power over them than taking their chances with the North.
Perhaps not 'crazy', but it is fantasy.
Both sides lobbied Britain for its help with their cause. It's not unimaginable that the South would have welcomed British protection.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
Have you see 'You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment' on Netflix?
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
Have you see 'You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment' on Netflix?
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
Have you see 'You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment' on Netflix?
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
No, I think it sets a very poor precedent. It's the work of a government which couldn't be arsed until a week ago, and doesn't now want to do the hard work of sorting it out through the courts rather than parliamentary fiat.
Some of the PO victims aren't very happy about it, either.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
The key to a great sandwich is to use the supermarket jobs as a BASE
So you buy the M&S smoked salmon and cream cheese, but then you buy another packet of salmon to stuff in it, as well as the salmon already in there. £3? £4?
Shove it in, drizzle over the squeezed lemon and cracked black pepper. Now that is a superb fat sandwich, full of flavour, nutrition and protein, and much better for you than two unadorned sarnies, and about the same price
So you'd pour more custard into a Greggs doughnut? That really is gilding the lily.
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
They should because the government overturning criminal convictions doesn't seem like a very good idea, when it would be easy to do it in the courts and without any opposition. It is within the Trump era phenomenon of disregarding the law and due process for political gain.
The problem is that a large proportion of the electorate is just too thick to understand there is any problem with doing this. I had this conversation with someone today, saying in quite mild terms that there might need to be some judicial process, just to determine which convictions depended on evidence that was unsafe, but was just met with "it's obvious" and "somebody must have a list of them".
That being the case, the government (and probably politicians of all parties) will be terrified of appearing inactive - after months and years of inactivity - and will no doubt stampede themselves into the quickest action they can think of.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
The vegan sausage rolls are really rather tasty, but the coffee is better at McDonald's.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
Have you see 'You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment' on Netflix?
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
If it does not involve sibling cannibalism I shall be disappointed.
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
No, I think it sets a very poor precedent. It's the work of a government which couldn't be arsed until a week ago, and doesn't now want to do the hard work of sorting it out through the courts rather than parliamentary fiat.
Some of the PO victims aren't very happy about it, either.
I wonder if Sir Humphrey asked "and when did you come to this momentous decision?"
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
The key to a great sandwich is to use the supermarket jobs as a BASE
So you buy the M&S smoked salmon and cream cheese, but then you buy another packet of salmon to stuff in it, as well as the salmon already in there. £3? £4?
Shove it in, drizzle over the squeezed lemon and cracked black pepper. Now that is a superb fat sandwich, full of flavour, nutrition and protein, and much better for you than two unadorned sarnies, and about the same price
So you'd pour more custard into a Greggs doughnut? That really is gilding the lily.
I’m not sure I’d bother using a supermarket sandwich as a base. Why not just make the sandwich from scratch? Similar workload.
Improving on processed food basics is however a fun exercise in which I engage regularly. Here are some examples:
- Orange juice, plus freshly juiced liquid and bits of one orange. Tastes like freshly squeezed juice - Cheap sparkling wine with a soupçon of sherry (I’ve mentioned that before) - Supermarket / ambrosia tinned rice pudding baked with raisins and brown sugar - Pringles as a coating for homemade chicken nuggets
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
No, I think it sets a very poor precedent. It's the work of a government which couldn't be arsed until a week ago, and doesn't now want to do the hard work of sorting it out through the courts rather than parliamentary fiat.
Some of the PO victims aren't very happy about it, either.
It'd be good if the opposition could firmly make this point. Sadly, events probably make that very difficult - like arguing against 'justice'...
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
Pioneers of plant-based budget snackage too.
Nobody's perfect.
Have you see 'You Are What You Eat: The Twin Experiment' on Netflix?
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
I have not heard of it.
Take a look. I'm guessing it will rile you up.
There is a Wiki page.
I Googled it. Standard shitty propaganda for veganism. It would rile me up if I gave it any more than the two minutes consideration I've just given it.
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
How is it a 'crazy fantasy'? I'm not proposing that this should happen, it's a historical counterfactual of the type often discussed here. Just you being an unpleasant little turd as usual I suppose.
Because the Southern states would have had even less regard for an imperial Britain holding power over them than taking their chances with the North.
Perhaps not 'crazy', but it is fantasy.
Plus, having passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, Britain, under a Liberal government by 1861, would have struggled to justify to the nation's public why they should support a bunch of slave states.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
The key to a great sandwich is to use the supermarket jobs as a BASE
So you buy the M&S smoked salmon and cream cheese, but then you buy another packet of salmon to stuff in it, as well as the salmon already in there. £3? £4?
Shove it in, drizzle over the squeezed lemon and cracked black pepper. Now that is a superb fat sandwich, full of flavour, nutrition and protein, and much better for you than two unadorned sarnies, and about the same price
So you'd pour more custard into a Greggs doughnut? That really is gilding the lily.
I’m not sure I’d bother using a supermarket sandwich as a base. Why not just make the sandwich from scratch? Similar workload.
Improving on processed food basics is however a fun exercise in which I engage regularly. Here are some examples:
- Orange juice, plus freshly juiced liquid and bits of one orange. Tastes like freshly squeezed juice - Cheap sparkling wine with a soupçon of sherry (I’ve mentioned that before) - Supermarket / ambrosia tinned rice pudding baked with raisins and brown sugar - Pringles as a coating for homemade chicken nuggets
They still all leave you with ultra-processed food though (well maybe not the wine + sherry).
I predict ultra-processed food will be the 'tobacco' of the 2030s.
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
They should because the government overturning criminal convictions doesn't seem like a very good idea, when it would be easy to do it in the courts and without any opposition. It is within the Trump era phenomenon of disregarding the law and due process for political gain.
The problem is that a large proportion of the electorate is just too thick to understand there is any problem with doing this. I had this conversation with someone today, saying in quite mild terms that there might need to be some judicial process, just to determine which convictions depended on evidence that was unsafe, but was just met with "it's obvious" and "somebody must have a list of them".
That being the case, the government (and probably politicians of all parties) will be terrified of appearing inactive - after months and years of inactivity - and will no doubt stampede themselves into the quickest action they can think of.
I have reluctantly concluded that, however annoying, overpaid and obstructive I find lawyers and barristers to be, the one bit of social good they add is keeping the rule of law going.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
The sandwich and drink meal deal at Gregg's is a darn sight more tasty, attractive, filling, fresh and healthy than the one you'd get at a supermarket. I'm a big fan of the ham, egg, salad and mayo. In a proper bun. With real, juicy slices of tomato and more than one measly slice of ham.
The key to a great sandwich is to use the supermarket jobs as a BASE
So you buy the M&S smoked salmon and cream cheese, but then you buy another packet of salmon to stuff in it, as well as the salmon already in there. £3? £4?
Shove it in, drizzle over the squeezed lemon and cracked black pepper. Now that is a superb fat sandwich, full of flavour, nutrition and protein, and much better for you than two unadorned sarnies, and about the same price
So you'd pour more custard into a Greggs doughnut? That really is gilding the lily.
I’m not sure I’d bother using a supermarket sandwich as a base. Why not just make the sandwich from scratch? Similar workload.
Improving on processed food basics is however a fun exercise in which I engage regularly. Here are some examples:
- Orange juice, plus freshly juiced liquid and bits of one orange. Tastes like freshly squeezed juice - Cheap sparkling wine with a soupçon of sherry (I’ve mentioned that before) - Supermarket / ambrosia tinned rice pudding baked with raisins and brown sugar - Pringles as a coating for homemade chicken nuggets
They still all leave you with ultra-processed food though (well maybe not the wine + sherry).
I predict ultra-processed food will be the tobacco of the the 2030s.
Ditching all ultra processed food would make the population happier and save the NHS a fortune. Nestle and the rest of the gang might be a bit miffed, though.
I don't suppose all this is making future recruitments for the post of DPP particularly easy - from now on he or she will be held personally responsible for every incorrect court judgement. Bit of a burden.
If it's Trump vs Biden, Trump will lose. Why - because of the Independents. But the polls say... Do Independents participate in polls? This guy thinks not...
I don't suppose all this is making future recruitments for the post of DPP particularly easy - from now on he or she will be held personally responsible for every incorrect court judgement. Bit of a burden.
He takes credit for everything that went right on his watch, as if he were personally responsible for every arrest, so he’s made his bed
I posted the quote last night from him saying he bore ultimate responsibility for every action that was taken by the CPS while he was DPP… so be it
OT but following up the recent monkey discussion (whichb rather failed to spot that humans are in any case monkeys whether they like it or not): there is apparently a gen-u-ine tailed monkey in Stroud. Definitely a mystery to go with NYC tunnels and AI.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
You are in our thoughts. Why don’t you set up a Go Fund Me to pay for a well earned holiday after you have gone through all of that, just so we don’t have to?
Thanks, it’s dark and lonely work, but someone has to do it. It’s actually quite nice to get some sympathy
This glut of gigs is making it hard for me to do my one main summer ambition: a trip through the Stans. Uzbek, Kazakh, and onwards. I shall squeeze it in somehow
Enjoy Turkmenistan, where you will see, er, the world's largest carpet.
Isn't there also that big hole that's been on fire for decades?
This post office episode reveals that level of understanding about how the legal system works is poor. It is well worth reading the books written by the secret barrister, which explain the adversarial system of criminal justice.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
"the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh"
Truly living the life. And yes, yes I'm sure it's fantastic now with a rooftop pool and any number of cocktails, blah, blah.
Phnom Penh is fucking brilliant now. One of the most entertaining cities on the planet
And I’ve been to a few entertaining cities
It has all the hedonistic languor of Bangkok in about 1990, with the buzz of a young Chinese city in 2003, with the sizzle of Saigon in 2010. And brilliant food. And no one gives a fuck, it is quite lawless. And excellent French wine is possibly cheaper here than in France
But no Greggs. Forget it.
Why do people actually like Greggs. I don't get it.
You are George Osborne AICMFP. Greggs is like McDonalds. Cheap, consistent and reasonably good.
But it's just a slightly seedy chain of bakeries? I went in a Greggs once - the coffee was rank and the meat slice thing OK but greasy. At least McDonalds is a restaurant. I'm clearly missing something.
You are missing what I have just told you. If you go to Greggs, any Greggs, you know what you are getting and bar the odd omnishambles budget, you know how much it will cost. Ideal for a breakfast or lunchtime snack at work.
But you could say the same of Costas, Pret etc and they a squillion times nicer.
Edit: maybe more expensive though I guess.
You bet they are more expensive. If you're a tradesman looking to grab something in a town you don't know well, you're barely getting change from a tenner for a latte and a panini at Costa whereas you're getting a couple of sausage rolls and a basic tea or coffee at Greggs for half the price. And, frankly, you're getting convenience to eat easily on the go and a satisfying, greasy hit to keep you going.
Secondly, are you going to Pret to line your stomach for or during a night on the lash? That's a big market for some Greggs (although depends on site). As suggested, they have round the clock appeal - just in commercial terms, you want a steady trade for breakfast, lunch and, at the right location, after work - that makes good use of your property and staff.
You originally made the point about McDonalds at least being a restaurant. But, often, people don't want that. Clearly, you can take a McDonalds away too, but eating out of the bag on the street is trickier, as is doing it at your desk or the place where you're installing a new bathroom.
I have got the pret coffee subscription, which is unlimited hot drinks for £30 a month, even though I am only in London 1-2 days per week. I am getting good value for money from it. Also it can be used in departures at Stansted/Gatwick/Heathrow which is massively useful. If you go to Pret and get a sandwich/salad, crisps and coffee it works out cheaper than a Tesco Meal deal and the food is fresher and healthier. Lots of tradesmen doing the same thing but perhaps this is a London thing. Pret is ubiquitous in London.
Regarding Greggs, the problem I have is the food is very processed and low quality, full of fat and sugar, it doesn't make you feel particularly satisfied. Costa has ok if overpriced coffee but the food is totally plastic and unsatisfying. I probably go to McDonalds more than I should. But it can work as an evening meal for less than £7, often a good option if you want to keep costs down.
Convenience food in the UK is quite difficult. In Finland you can go to the supermarket and get coffee for 1 euro. They also have pretty good salad bars and bakeries. Often better, cheaper and healthier than the options in the UK.
Have you actually tried the Greggs custard doughnuts though? Apologies if you have but this post has the air of somebody who hasn't.
I'm ignoring that thug Topping. I adore the Pret sandwiches. Could live on them.
And that hot wrap thing they do.
That salt content will get you in the end just you wait.
As a matter of interest, were these private prosecutions jury trials, judge-only trials, or a mixture?
(I can imagine PB's Legal Eagles laughing at this question, but I've no idea...)
Scotland was mainly magistrate's court guilty pleas IIRC (which to my mind implies the badly advised ones or perhaps the sensible ones who cut their losses, as they saw it). Not sure about elsewhere.
I don't suppose all this is making future recruitments for the post of DPP particularly easy - from now on he or she will be held personally responsible for every incorrect court judgement. Bit of a burden.
This is a little bit more than just an 'incorrect court judgement', isn't it? And if the CPS made mistakes, who is responsible for that mistake?
Also in what world is a pret sandwich, coffee and whatnot less expensive than a Tesco's meal deal. Sheer fantasy.
It is if you have the subscription at Pret and DONT have a clubcard at Tesco. The coffee is free at Pret with the subscription and you get a 20% discount on the sandwich, after the discount the sandwich costs as little as £3.
The Knapper’s Gazette has just commissioned me to go America, as it happens. Also Brittany, Colombia, Italy, the French Caribbean, Bangkok, the most expensive hotel in Phnom Penh, and Moldova
Busy season ahead
You are in our thoughts. Why don’t you set up a Go Fund Me to pay for a well earned holiday after you have gone through all of that, just so we don’t have to?
Thanks, it’s dark and lonely work, but someone has to do it. It’s actually quite nice to get some sympathy
This glut of gigs is making it hard for me to do my one main summer ambition: a trip through the Stans. Uzbek, Kazakh, and onwards. I shall squeeze it in somehow
Enjoy Turkmenistan, where you will see, er, the world's largest carpet.
Isn't there also that big hole that's been on fire for decades?
People from @stodge's neck of the woods used to tell of seeing underground fires through the cracks between paving stones around Beckton gas works.
Plenty round hereabouts, and across the Central Belt in oil and coal mining waste dumps, called bings locally. Used to be one just down the road from here. But I don't recall Leon being tasked to come and write about it.
And similar fires could occur in oily shale elswehere - Lyme Regis (encouraged with jerricans of paraffin on the qiet to keep the tourists happy). and more genuinely in the east.
If it's Trump vs Biden, Trump will lose. Why - because of the Independents. But the polls say... Do Independents participate in polls? This guy thinks not...
The DPP is a job involving immensely hard decisions, all this criticism of Starmer just reinforces the fact that he was able to do a real job and got to the top of his profession before going in to Politics. This is unlike almost everyone around him in Parliament.
Also in what world is a pret sandwich, coffee and whatnot less expensive than a Tesco's meal deal. Sheer fantasy.
It is if you have the subscription at Pret and DONT have a clubcard at Tesco. The coffee is free at Pret with the subscription and you get a 20% discount on the sandwich, after the discount the sandwich costs as little as £3.
Is that like free champagne in first class?
Tesco's meal deal is sandwich, "snack" (I go for the mini sausages), and drink. £4.50.
But yes if you're going to have the egg mayo sandwich £3 post discount. Plus what else was included. Something else IIRC.
This post office episode reveals that level of understanding about how the legal system works is poor. It is well worth reading the books written by the secret barrister, which explain the adversarial system of criminal justice.
I'd argue that the general level of understanding amongst the public of any technical subject is poor. I know very little about the legal system; I have had zero personal interaction with the legal system in my life (aside from buying a house...), and it is a situation that I'm quite happy to continue for the rest of my natural life.
In a similar manner, I know just about enough wrt financial matters to keep the family finances and investments in order. Some accountancy terms sound like babble to me.
And I think this plays into this whole tragic mess. Even though I have not built a system like Horizon, I probably have enough technical knowledge to have asked questions that may have got interesting and useful answers (some on PB could have asked *very* interesting questions). The average minister, or even a Post Office high heidyin, may not. If you can't ask the right questions, you won't get the information you need.
The DPP is a job involving immensely hard decisions, all this criticism of Starmer just reinforces the fact that he was able to do a real job and got to the top of his profession before going in to Politics. This is unlike almost everyone around him in Parliament.
Director of Public Prosecutions is a political appointment. In July 2008, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Attorney General for England and Wales, named Starmer as the new head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Director of Public Prosecutions. (per Wiki)
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
"The reason for the tunnel’s creation remains undisclosed."
Guess: a certain traditional ceremony or ritual has been banned by the elders. The tunnel-builders disagree, and perform it secretly at night. The humdrum part? This ceremony is dead boring.
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
"The reason for the tunnel’s creation remains undisclosed."
Guess: a certain traditional ceremony or ritual has been banned by the elders. The tunnel-builders disagree, and perform it secretly at night. The humdrum part? This ceremony is dead boring.
This post office episode reveals that level of understanding about how the legal system works is poor. It is well worth reading the books written by the secret barrister, which explain the adversarial system of criminal justice.
I'd argue that the general level of understanding amongst the public of any technical subject is poor. I know very little about the legal system; I have had zero personal interaction with the legal system in my life (aside from buying a house...), and it is a situation that I'm quite happy to continue for the rest of my natural life.
In a similar manner, I know just about enough wrt financial matters to keep the family finances and investments in order. Some accountancy terms sound like babble to me.
And I think this plays into this whole tragic mess. Even though I have not built a system like Horizon, I probably have enough technical knowledge to have asked questions that may have got interesting and useful answers (some on PB could have asked *very* interesting questions). The average minister, or even a Post Office high heidyin, may not. If you can't ask the right questions, you won't get the information you need.
The one think I spend a lot of time trying to understand myself is tax, I have accountants for various business interests but always want to know exactly what they are doing and why and often find that they make significant errors.
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
Sure but that was pre another scandal that shows the establishment Labour and LibDems have failed us badly and need to be replaced by the Tories. The dial is about to boomerang as the public realise how evil Starmer and Davey really are.
I don't suppose all this is making future recruitments for the post of DPP particularly easy - from now on he or she will be held personally responsible for every incorrect court judgement. Bit of a burden.
This is a little bit more than just an 'incorrect court judgement', isn't it? And if the CPS made mistakes, who is responsible for that mistake?
If the law said that Horizon was always right then the problem is the law and Horizon not the CPS.
If it's Trump vs Biden, Trump will lose. Why - because of the Independents. But the polls say... Do Independents participate in polls? This guy thinks not...
Trump "will be leading his party to the 2nd or third greatest electoral defeat in American history"
I was surprised to see so many Independents in America. Perhaps not as polarised as it is made out to be at 41% independent.
Yes, there are more Independents than Democrats and more Democrats than Republicans. Makes sense that Democrats win the popular vote more often than Republicans and why Republicans are always thinking up ways of stopping people voting.
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
How is it a 'crazy fantasy'? I'm not proposing that this should happen, it's a historical counterfactual of the type often discussed here. Just you being an unpleasant little turd as usual I suppose.
Because the Southern states would have had even less regard for an imperial Britain holding power over them than taking their chances with the North.
Perhaps not 'crazy', but it is fantasy.
Plus, having passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, Britain, under a Liberal government by 1861, would have struggled to justify to the nation's public why they should support a bunch of slave states.
Whadaya mean "would have"?
Seeing as how HMG circa 1861 in fact DID struggle to justify it's pro-Confederate policy to the British Public. In particular the textile workers of Lancashire (most of whom were denied the vote) who did NOT endorse the illiberal Liberal government, despite the "cotton famine" and resultant unemployment.
Wiki below barely scratches the surface, but still worth checking out.
The DPP is a job involving immensely hard decisions, all this criticism of Starmer just reinforces the fact that he was able to do a real job and got to the top of his profession before going in to Politics. This is unlike almost everyone around him in Parliament.
Yet according to some on here, it must be a sinecure. After all, they claim he was not responsible for anything that happened in his department whilst he was in the role....
Can anyone point me to a link explaining how voter registration works in the USA.
I don't get this concept of needing to identify as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Independent" in advance, and then taking part in that party's Primary, but you can also vote in the other Primary.
It is indeed very bad that Britain's first three miscarriages happened on his watch.
How do you know the three were innocent? Perhaps they are the guilty ones that Alex Chalk suggests will unfortunately be allowed through the net by his blanket acquittal.
It is indeed very bad that Britain's first three miscarriages happened on his watch.
How do you know the three were innocent? Perhaps they are the guilty ones that Alex Chalk suggests will unfortunately be allowed through the net by his blanket acquittal.
I do wonder why these cases went to the CPS, rather than being private prosecutions. What was different about them?
But neither do we want to go to the other extreme, and suggest that because "I was DPP you know" Starmer was tangentially involved in their cases, they're guilty.
Can anyone point me to a link explaining how voter registration works in the USA.
I don't get this concept of needing to identify as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Independent" in advance, and then taking part in that party's Primary, but you can also vote in the other Primary.
What is the point?
"Some states require you to declare your party affiliation when registering, while others do not track your party affiliation. If your state tracks party affiliation, there will be a question on your voter registration from for you to declare your political party affiliation. " https://www.eac.gov/how-do-i-change-my-political-party-affiliation
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
"The reason for the tunnel’s creation remains undisclosed."
Guess: a certain traditional ceremony or ritual has been banned by the elders. The tunnel-builders disagree, and perform it secretly at night. The humdrum part? This ceremony is dead boring.
Boring comes into it certainly.
That's quite a breakthrough - do you have a mole on the inside?
My assessment on the post office scandal back in November:
"It should be pretty simple for the government to:
1) Invalidate all prior prosecutions from the Post Office. The scandal is so widespread there is no need for a detailed examination of each case - the assumption should once again be innocence unless proven guilty again with what we know today.
2) Properly compensate everyone prosecuted.
3) Set-up an independent investigatory team with the task of prosecuting anyone who committed a crime in conjunction with this miscarriage of justice.
4) Fire the entire Post office Board and senior leadership and replacing them with independent voices given the task of cleaning out the stables, including actively helping with prosecutions against the former leadership of the Post Office."
Is literally everyone now happy with the government overriding the courts to overturn all the PO convictions btw? It's the sort of "principle" point where I'd expect somebody to rebel. Probably David Davis.
When you give them 70K of your own savings, but still get put in jail, named in local paper as a convicted felon so that your grandson gets bullied at school about it, there is absolutely nothing anyone anywhere can ever do to put that right.
But it’s still surprising how quickly Sunak’s Governments chosen plan is beginning to fall apart already. Where they were named in paper and jailed individually as crooks, they won’t be exonerated individually, could that bit be improved on? Where they are asked to sign saying they are innocent and not a crook, does that not still cast aspirations of not believing your innocence, could that bit not be improved on? Why given to the house by an unconvincing sounding business minister, and not a legal one? Is everyone in government onboard with this?
What your post is asking for, Kin, is a header, is it not? From a website that so far is ahead of the media game on this. From a PBer who actually knows a bit about law and politics, to set out what the options of Sunak and Starmer’s governments realistically are now, to deliver some speedy exonerations and compensation, with the advantages and issues of each option. Only then would we know if this decision Sunak has made is as bad as it already it seems to be.
It seems then those convicted as a result of the Post Office scandal are to have their convictions overturned via legislation.
Yes, that doesn't sit well with me either. It sets a dangerous precedent and a prime example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Of course, we see Sunak playing to the populist crowd - he sees the public wanting "something" to be done to put right the scandal and he's decided using Parliament to overturn legal decisions is the right "something".
We can all accept and understand there was a miscarriage of justice which needs to be corrected but imagine how this could be misused in the future. Guilty people having their convictions overturned by legislation - imagine where that ends, yes, it could be another miscarriage like and innocent person wrongly convicted of murder but it could be a "friend" of a future Government convicted of a crime who uses his or her influence to get the conviction quashed.
The Courts have mechanisms to overturn convictions - let's use those and speed the process rather than invoke legislation.
If it's Trump vs Biden, Trump will lose. Why - because of the Independents. But the polls say... Do Independents participate in polls? This guy thinks not...
Trump "will be leading his party to the 2nd or third greatest electoral defeat in American history"
I was surprised to see so many Independents in America. Perhaps not as polarised as it is made out to be at 41% independent.
Strangely, plenty of American voters do NOT want to be regarded as party hacks OR puppets.
Meaning that sussing out their partisan affiliation or leanings takes a bit of doing for pollsters.
For example
> In Massachusetts as of Oct 2022, voter registration by party: Democratic 29.5% Republican 9.0% other parties 1.2% unenrolled (that is, independent) = 6.4%
Compared with Mass 2022 general election results for Governor Democrat Martha Healey 63.8% Republican Geoff Diel 34.6% Libertarian Kevin Reed 1.6%
> In Washington State, no party registration (though must pick party for presidential primary); however it is very common, for voters who are 99.46% committed to one party or the other, to try balancing their own ballot, by seeking at least one candidate for some office from the OTHER party that they can vote for without undue angst.
This was secret of success for our former Republican Secretary of State, Kim Wyman, who in 2020 was the only GOPer elected statewide in WA State. This year, it appears (at least in January) that former Republican congresswoman and current candidate for Public Lands Commissioner might (emphasis on conditional) be able to squeak out a win on same basis.
> Years ago when living in another state, yours truly adopted the same policy; voted for Democrats in general elections EXCEPT for one partisan office: County Coroner.
We are forever seeing TV chefs swanning off to some distant shore and eulogising about the 'Street Food' that they purchase from some squalid shack that nobody in their right mind would go anywhere near.
If you want street food, buy a Greggs steak bake and eat it as you walk down the pavement.
The ground shifts, or at least the rural part of it appears to be:
Rural voters more likely to back Labour than the Tories Poll puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party four points ahead in countryside after promises to support farmers and tackle sewage spills
It seems then those convicted as a result of the Post Office scandal are to have their convictions overturned via legislation.
Yes, that doesn't sit well with me either. It sets a dangerous precedent and a prime example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Of course, we see Sunak playing to the populist crowd - he sees the public wanting "something" to be done to put right the scandal and he's decided using Parliament to overturn legal decisions is the right "something".
We can all accept and understand there was a miscarriage of justice which needs to be corrected but imagine how this could be misused in the future. Guilty people having their convictions overturned by legislation - imagine where that ends, yes, it could be another miscarriage like and innocent person wrongly convicted of murder but it could be a "friend" of a future Government convicted of a crime who uses his or her influence to get the conviction quashed.
The Courts have mechanisms to overturn convictions - let's use those and speed the process rather than invoke legislation.
What are the court options? What are the political options? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each?
We need some sort of Which? magazine table of them, don’t we?
Lots of rumours of impeding council s114 notices - it's not going to be a good look for the government.
It will be worse long term, although unsurprising, if the government forces fire sales of local authority assets.
Tory donors will already be looking to buy up some assets on the cheap. I wonder how many council headquarters buildings will be renamed Michelle Mone House.
Can anyone point me to a link explaining how voter registration works in the USA.
I don't get this concept of needing to identify as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Independent" in advance, and then taking part in that party's Primary, but you can also vote in the other Primary.
What is the point?
I am very uncomfortable with self-ID for voters. There should be a clear and objective set of measures that can be universally applied, to determine affiliation. Voters should not merely be able to declare "I'm a Democrat" or whatever.
Yes, we will take back control of the United States.
I would make an excellent Viceroy of America.
We didn't manage it in the last one, and we had a far better chance then. Arguably if we had offered the confederate states the protection of the British Empire we would have held the United States in permanent check, and been the pre-eminent world power for the 20th century at least.
I've seen some crazy fantasies from right-wing loonies, but making the Confederate States a British Protectorate in order to stymie the USA has to beat them all.
Talking about fantasies, why should I get bollocked on PB the other day for accurately predicting that the New York Tunnels would have just this boring and humdrum explanation?
"The reason for the tunnel’s creation remains undisclosed."
Guess: a certain traditional ceremony or ritual has been banned by the elders. The tunnel-builders disagree, and perform it secretly at night. The humdrum part? This ceremony is dead boring.
Boring comes into it certainly.
That's quite a breakthrough - do you have a mole on the inside?
The DPP is a job involving immensely hard decisions, all this criticism of Starmer just reinforces the fact that he was able to do a real job and got to the top of his profession before going in to Politics. This is unlike almost everyone around him in Parliament.
Yet according to some on here, it must be a sinecure. After all, they claim he was not responsible for anything that happened in his department whilst he was in the role....
How dare you! He was responsible for all the major things that went right, just ask him
He is also quoted as saying he carried ultimate responsibility for absolutely everything that happened at the CPS on his watch. But we can ignore that now apparently
It seems then those convicted as a result of the Post Office scandal are to have their convictions overturned via legislation.
Yes, that doesn't sit well with me either. It sets a dangerous precedent and a prime example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Of course, we see Sunak playing to the populist crowd - he sees the public wanting "something" to be done to put right the scandal and he's decided using Parliament to overturn legal decisions is the right "something".
We can all accept and understand there was a miscarriage of justice which needs to be corrected but imagine how this could be misused in the future. Guilty people having their convictions overturned by legislation - imagine where that ends, yes, it could be another miscarriage like and innocent person wrongly convicted of murder but it could be a "friend" of a future Government convicted of a crime who uses his or her influence to get the conviction quashed.
The Courts have mechanisms to overturn convictions - let's use those and speed the process rather than invoke legislation.
We are forever seeing TV chefs swanning off to some distant shore and eulogising about the 'Street Food' that they purchase from some squalid shack that nobody in their right mind would go anywhere near.
If you want street food, buy a Greggs steak bake and eat it as you walk down the pavement.
Last year, I was two miles from the end of a marathon, and running through Croydon. I was really hungry, so I nipped into a Greggs, bought a sausage roll, and ate it as I jogged down the road.
The ground shifts, or at least the rural part of it appears to be:
Rural voters more likely to back Labour than the Tories Poll puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party four points ahead in countryside after promises to support farmers and tackle sewage spills
We are forever seeing TV chefs swanning off to some distant shore and eulogising about the 'Street Food' that they purchase from some squalid shack that nobody in their right mind would go anywhere near.
If you want street food, buy a Greggs steak bake and eat it as you walk down the pavement.
Somewhere at a farmer’s market in Oregon every Sunday morning there’s an open-sided Citroen van serving “British street food” steak bakes with brown sauce.
Can anyone point me to a link explaining how voter registration works in the USA.
I don't get this concept of needing to identify as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Independent" in advance, and then taking part in that party's Primary, but you can also vote in the other Primary.
What is the point?
I am very uncomfortable with self-ID for voters. There should be a clear and objective set of measures that can be universally applied, to determine affiliation. Voters should not merely be able to declare "I'm a Democrat" or whatever.
Comments
I'm not sure about it. Has more than a hint of politics masquerading as science if you ask me - but I may be wrong.
There is a Wiki page.
It's the work of a government which couldn't be arsed until a week ago, and doesn't now want to do the hard work of sorting it out through the courts rather than parliamentary fiat.
Some of the PO victims aren't very happy about it, either.
That being the case, the government (and probably politicians of all parties) will be terrified of appearing inactive - after months and years of inactivity - and will no doubt stampede themselves into the quickest action they can think of.
What a load of wank.
LAB: 45% (+2)
CON: 26% (-1)
LDM: 10% (=)
REF: 8% (-1)
GRN: 5% (+2)
via @Savanta_UK, 5-7 Jan
(Changes with 17 Dec)
Improving on processed food basics is however a fun exercise in which I engage regularly. Here are some examples:
- Orange juice, plus freshly juiced liquid and bits of one orange. Tastes like freshly squeezed juice
- Cheap sparkling wine with a soupçon of sherry (I’ve mentioned that before)
- Supermarket / ambrosia tinned rice pudding baked with raisins and brown sugar
- Pringles as a coating for homemade chicken nuggets
YOU claim YOU were responsible for all prosecutions in England and Wales
YOU claim the buck stops at the top level
YOU were Director of Public prosecutions when innocent people were wrongfully convicted in the post office scandal
https://x.com/timmyvoe240886/status/1745142278409138524?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
I predict ultra-processed food will be the 'tobacco' of the 2030s.
https://x.com/maw6578/status/1744851828984934743?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
Nestle and the rest of the gang might be a bit miffed, though.
Why - because of the Independents. But the polls say...
Do Independents participate in polls?
This guy thinks not...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLNFzSfEhk
Trump "will be leading his party to the 2nd or third greatest electoral defeat in American history"
I posted the quote last night from him saying he bore ultimate responsibility for every action that was taken by the CPS while he was DPP… so be it
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/jan/10/the-stroud-monkey-mystery-is-a-primate-on-the-loose-in-the-cotswolds#comment-166038057
(I can imagine PB's Legal Eagles laughing at this question, but I've no idea...)
Which is, of course, exactly what @Leon has been warning us about from time to time.
http://guillermo-rein.blogspot.com/2011/09/accidental-combustion-of-coal-waste.html
https://shaletrail.co.uk/kids-shale-trail/bings-thing/
And similar fires could occur in oily shale elswehere - Lyme Regis (encouraged with jerricans of paraffin on the qiet to keep the tourists happy). and more genuinely in the east.
https://wessexcoastgeology.soton.ac.uk/kimfire.htm
Tesco's meal deal is sandwich, "snack" (I go for the mini sausages), and drink. £4.50.
But yes if you're going to have the egg mayo sandwich £3 post discount. Plus what else was included. Something else IIRC.
I mean really.
In a similar manner, I know just about enough wrt financial matters to keep the family finances and investments in order. Some accountancy terms sound like babble to me.
And I think this plays into this whole tragic mess. Even though I have not built a system like Horizon, I probably have enough technical knowledge to have asked questions that may have got interesting and useful answers (some on PB could have asked *very* interesting questions). The average minister, or even a Post Office high heidyin, may not. If you can't ask the right questions, you won't get the information you need.
"The reason for the tunnel’s creation remains undisclosed."
Makes sense that Democrats win the popular vote more often than Republicans and why Republicans are always thinking up ways of stopping people voting.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12947411/face-man-crucified-Britain-roman-reconstructed.html
Seeing as how HMG circa 1861 in fact DID struggle to justify it's pro-Confederate policy to the British Public. In particular the textile workers of Lancashire (most of whom were denied the vote) who did NOT endorse the illiberal Liberal government, despite the "cotton famine" and resultant unemployment.
Wiki below barely scratches the surface, but still worth checking out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_and_the_American_Civil_War
I don't get this concept of needing to identify as "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Independent" in advance, and then taking part in that party's Primary, but you can also vote in the other Primary.
What is the point?
How do you know the three were innocent? Perhaps they are the guilty ones that Alex Chalk suggests will unfortunately be allowed through the net by his blanket acquittal.
https://twitter.com/WalkerMarcus/status/1745132027483918555
Quite an interesting thread.
But neither do we want to go to the other extreme, and suggest that because "I was DPP you know" Starmer was tangentially involved in their cases, they're guilty.
https://www.eac.gov/how-do-i-change-my-political-party-affiliation
Intderesting report on HMG's cheapskate approach to the PO scandal - but also the justice system.
"It should be pretty simple for the government to:
1) Invalidate all prior prosecutions from the Post Office. The scandal is so widespread there is no need for a detailed examination of each case - the assumption should once again be innocence unless proven guilty again with what we know today.
2) Properly compensate everyone prosecuted.
3) Set-up an independent investigatory team with the task of prosecuting anyone who committed a crime in conjunction with this miscarriage of justice.
4) Fire the entire Post office Board and senior leadership and replacing them with independent voices given the task of cleaning out the stables, including actively helping with prosecutions against the former leadership of the Post Office."
1 down, 3 to go?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67932725
But it’s still surprising how quickly Sunak’s Governments chosen plan is beginning to fall apart already. Where they were named in paper and jailed individually as crooks, they won’t be exonerated individually, could that bit be improved on? Where they are asked to sign saying they are innocent and not a crook, does that not still cast aspirations of not believing your innocence, could that bit not be improved on? Why given to the house by an unconvincing sounding business minister, and not a legal one? Is everyone in government onboard with this?
What your post is asking for, Kin, is a header, is it not? From a website that so far is ahead of the media game on this. From a PBer who actually knows a bit about law and politics, to set out what the options of Sunak and Starmer’s governments realistically are now, to deliver some speedy exonerations and compensation, with the advantages and issues of each option. Only then would we know if this decision Sunak has made is as bad as it already it seems to be.
Yes, that doesn't sit well with me either. It sets a dangerous precedent and a prime example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Of course, we see Sunak playing to the populist crowd - he sees the public wanting "something" to be done to put right the scandal and he's decided using Parliament to overturn legal decisions is the right "something".
We can all accept and understand there was a miscarriage of justice which needs to be corrected but imagine how this could be misused in the future. Guilty people having their convictions overturned by legislation - imagine where that ends, yes, it could be another miscarriage like and innocent person wrongly convicted of murder but it could be a "friend" of a future Government convicted of a crime who uses his or her influence to get the conviction quashed.
The Courts have mechanisms to overturn convictions - let's use those and speed the process rather than invoke legislation.
Meaning that sussing out their partisan affiliation or leanings takes a bit of doing for pollsters.
For example
> In Massachusetts as of Oct 2022, voter registration by party:
Democratic 29.5%
Republican 9.0%
other parties 1.2%
unenrolled (that is, independent) = 6.4%
Compared with Mass 2022 general election results for Governor
Democrat Martha Healey 63.8%
Republican Geoff Diel 34.6%
Libertarian Kevin Reed 1.6%
> In Washington State, no party registration (though must pick party for presidential primary); however it is very common, for voters who are 99.46% committed to one party or the other, to try balancing their own ballot, by seeking at least one candidate for some office from the OTHER party that they can vote for without undue angst.
This was secret of success for our former Republican Secretary of State, Kim Wyman, who in 2020 was the only GOPer elected statewide in WA State. This year, it appears (at least in January) that former Republican congresswoman and current candidate for Public Lands Commissioner might (emphasis on conditional) be able to squeak out a win on same basis.
> Years ago when living in another state, yours truly adopted the same policy; voted for Democrats in general elections EXCEPT for one partisan office: County Coroner.
If you want street food, buy a Greggs steak bake and eat it as you walk down the pavement.
Rural voters more likely to back Labour than the Tories
Poll puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party four points ahead in countryside after promises to support farmers and tackle sewage spills
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/01/10/rural-voters-more-likely-back-labour-than-tories-poll/
We need some sort of Which? magazine table of them, don’t we?
He is also quoted as saying he carried ultimate responsibility for absolutely everything that happened at the CPS on his watch. But we can ignore that now apparently
To be quite clear: this was *not* a good idea...