I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
Yes I think that this is a clear indication that Trump will lose in November. Swift is as bland, unthreatening and mainstream as they come - she sings highly relatable catchy songs that appeal to teenage girls and is dating a football player - so if MAGA Republicanism has decided that Swift is the enemy it suggests it is way too detached from regular American society to win.
Frank Luntz thinks otherwise. Maybe he's exaggerating to get the Democrats to see sense on Biden but it takes a brave person to disagree with him.
You definitely don't need to be brave to disagree with Frank Luntz, his record of predictions is less than stellar, to put it mildly.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
Workers at Birmingham City Council will start a ballot for strike action after "bosses announced a further delay to settling outstanding equal pay claims", the GMB union said.
The authority declared itself effectively bankrupt in September amid an equal pay claim of up to £760m and an £80m overspend on an IT system.
And it seems not the first time Birmingham council has been at fault on this issue:
Birmingham City Council has a shameful record of discriminating against its women workers.
The Council was forced to pay out over a billion pounds in 2012 for underpaying those employees working jobs mainly done by women, and council officials have admitted that they have a new equal pay debt that could be as much as £760 million – and growing.
Yes I think that this is a clear indication that Trump will lose in November. Swift is as bland, unthreatening and mainstream as they come - she sings highly relatable catchy songs that appeal to teenage girls and is dating a football player - so if MAGA Republicanism has decided that Swift is the enemy it suggests it is way too detached from regular American society to win.
Swift is as bland as they come, it's incredible that the MAGA mentalists take objection to her forgettable pop.
Taylor Swift is not bland. Her best songs are solid gold pop classics, a great rarity in these declining times
The production is sometimes a bit disappointing (she can actually sing but is autotuned all to heck anyway because it is the fashion). But the songs are, as you say, top notch pop.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
Workers at Birmingham City Council will start a ballot for strike action after "bosses announced a further delay to settling outstanding equal pay claims", the GMB union said.
The authority declared itself effectively bankrupt in September amid an equal pay claim of up to £760m and an £80m overspend on an IT system.
And it seems not the first time Birmingham council has been at fault on this issue:
Birmingham City Council has a shameful record of discriminating against its women workers.
The Council was forced to pay out over a billion pounds in 2012 for underpaying those employees working jobs mainly done by women, and council officials have admitted that they have a new equal pay debt that could be as much as £760 million – and growing.
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
It’s hard to conclude she has very little talent given the popularity of her songs.
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
“Very little talent”
She writes brilliantly catchy pop songs, and as a result she’s worth £70 trillion
Presumably if this so easy, and requires such meagre talent, you’ve done it yourself and you are commenting from your private island in the Caymans
Yes I think that this is a clear indication that Trump will lose in November. Swift is as bland, unthreatening and mainstream as they come - she sings highly relatable catchy songs that appeal to teenage girls and is dating a football player - so if MAGA Republicanism has decided that Swift is the enemy it suggests it is way too detached from regular American society to win.
Swift is as bland as they come, it's incredible that the MAGA mentalists take objection to her forgettable pop.
Taylor Swift is not bland. Her best songs are solid gold pop classics, a great rarity in these declining times
The production is sometimes a bit disappointing (she can actually sing but is autotuned all to heck anyway because it is the fashion). But the songs are, as you say, top notch pop.
Where the bland comments do have a point is politically. She’s hardly Bob Dylan or Green Day. Her lyrics are generally pretty apolitical.
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
There isn't one. Our entire geopolitical orientation is the way it is because America's is the way America's is. That is why we like the Saudis but hate the Iranians and hate the Russians but like the Turks. If Trump succeeds in changing the USA's foreign policy dispensation (the odds are against this actually happening, because the state seems to have its own ideas regardless of the POTUS), then we will change ours, the media will tell us how correct the new way is, and PB's biggest current Putin haters will be accusing us of being traitors if we object.
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
“Very little talent”
She writes brilliantly catchy pop songs, and as a result she’s worth £70 trillion
Presumably if this so easy, and requires such meagre talent, you’ve done it yourself and you are commenting from your private island in the Caymans
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
It’s hard to conclude she has very little talent given the popularity of her songs.
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
She writes and performs her OWN songs, which arguably puts her ahead of all of them
Indeed she’s more like a country pop version of Joni Mitchell. A poppier version of a brilliant singer songwriter
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
It’s hard to conclude she has very little talent given the popularity of her songs.
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
She writes and performs her OWN songs, which arguably puts her ahead of all of them
Indeed she’s more like a country pop version of Joni Mitchell. A poppier version of a brilliant singer songwriter
I have the others ahead of her currently because of the full range of their careers and life stories - there being more to pop stardom than just certified bangers. The stormy off stage relationships and abusive husbands, the iconic breaking down of barriers and taboos, the controversies, the TV shows. However, her current political exposure does give her the opportunity to take things further. She’s still relatively young.
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
“Very little talent”
She writes brilliantly catchy pop songs, and as a result she’s worth £70 trillion
Presumably if this so easy, and requires such meagre talent, you’ve done it yourself and you are commenting from your private island in the Caymans
Cringe.
Are you? Are you tapping away at your crystal computer as you look out of your white wood mansion, past the palm groves, onto the whispering blue glitter of the fair Caribbean?
Or are you actually writing on some knackered old PC in some dingy house in regional Britain, six miles from the nearest Lidl, because it turns out it takes more than a “tiny little talent” to make a fortune from writing and performing pop songs?
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
It’s hard to conclude she has very little talent given the popularity of her songs.
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
She writes and performs her OWN songs, which arguably puts her ahead of all of them
Indeed she’s more like a country pop version of Joni Mitchell. A poppier version of a brilliant singer songwriter
I have the others ahead of her currently because of the full range of their careers and life stories - there being more to pop stardom than just certified bangers. The stormy off stage relationships and abusive husbands, the iconic breaking down of barriers and taboos, the controversies, the TV shows. However, her current political exposure does give her the opportunity to take things further. She’s still relatively young.
Ah, you mean “iconicity”. Yes, fair enough
But we agree that she is genuinely very talented. And I often find her quite annoying - I just can’t deny the genius catchiness of the songs
She was quite brave when she was very young about her voracious sexuality - that got her into trouble
Yes I think that this is a clear indication that Trump will lose in November. Swift is as bland, unthreatening and mainstream as they come - she sings highly relatable catchy songs that appeal to teenage girls and is dating a football player - so if MAGA Republicanism has decided that Swift is the enemy it suggests it is way too detached from regular American society to win.
Swift is as bland as they come, it's incredible that the MAGA mentalists take objection to her forgettable pop.
Taylor Swift is not bland. Her best songs are solid gold pop classics, a great rarity in these declining times
The production is sometimes a bit disappointing (she can actually sing but is autotuned all to heck anyway because it is the fashion). But the songs are, as you say, top notch pop.
Where the bland comments do have a point is politically. She’s hardly Bob Dylan or Green Day. Her lyrics are generally pretty apolitical.
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time)
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
“Very little talent”
She writes brilliantly catchy pop songs, and as a result she’s worth £70 trillion
Presumably if this so easy, and requires such meagre talent, you’ve done it yourself and you are commenting from your private island in the Caymans
Cringe.
Are you? Are you tapping away at your crystal computer as you look out of your white wood mansion, past the palm groves, onto the whispering blue glitter of the fair Caribbean?
Or are you actually writing on some knackered old PC in some dingy house in regional Britain, six miles from the nearest Lidl, because it turns out it takes more than a “tiny little talent” to make a fortune from writing and performing pop songs?
Calling anyone that’s tapped their feet to Shake it Off a “window licker”. Hmmm. Remind us Lucky Guy why we’ve all misunderstood the object of your own admiration, Mr Putin.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
I wouldn't feel it an enormous loss if I didn't have to read about Taylor Swift or the MAGA organisation when logging on to PB. I'm happy to say that her oeuvre has largely passed me by.
Bring me the blandest thing on the menu.
I have nothing against her career - good luck to her for making very little talent go a very long way. It's the window lickers that comprise her admirers that I find more depressing - the willful self-infantalisation of it all. Like when adults started reading Harry Potter books on the underground, but with enhanced stupidity in keeping with modern times.
It’s hard to conclude she has very little talent given the popularity of her songs.
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
She writes and performs her OWN songs, which arguably puts her ahead of all of them
Indeed she’s more like a country pop version of Joni Mitchell. A poppier version of a brilliant singer songwriter
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
If they get down to the size of normal spectacles, would be great for cycling round cities (speed, directions etc) and for individual sports in general.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
I've tried Facebook's version of it, and while I'm sure Apple's is better, it's too uncomfortable to wear something like that on your face for very long.
It has to be quite firmly attached to be able to calibrate the distance of the display from your eyes, otherwise it becomes blurry.
Yes I think that this is a clear indication that Trump will lose in November. Swift is as bland, unthreatening and mainstream as they come - she sings highly relatable catchy songs that appeal to teenage girls and is dating a football player - so if MAGA Republicanism has decided that Swift is the enemy it suggests it is way too detached from regular American society to win.
Swift is as bland as they come, it's incredible that the MAGA mentalists take objection to her forgettable pop.
Taylor Swift is not bland. Her best songs are solid gold pop classics, a great rarity in these declining times
The production is sometimes a bit disappointing (she can actually sing but is autotuned all to heck anyway because it is the fashion). But the songs are, as you say, top notch pop.
Where the bland comments do have a point is politically. She’s hardly Bob Dylan or Green Day. Her lyrics are generally pretty apolitical.
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time)
For some reason 'Sign of the Times' by Prince (1987) popped into my head the other month.
In France, a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
I DEFINITELY want to try one!
You can i believe still book a demo at an apple store but it is far too late to actually order one of the first batch.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
Why? I’m talking about how we interact with screens - not other humans
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
Why? I’m talking about how we interact with screens - not other humans
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
But unless it can be used while walking around outdoors then it can't replace the smartphone.
Maybe I'm too much of a late adopter but I'm still sceptical.
"To win the culture wars you must display moderation in all things. Take it to excess, dear reader, and disaster will follow.
Each side has a case their opponents cannot see. But despite their causes containing a smidgeon of truth, culture warriors cannot help heading off to the extremes, where, to the smug satisfaction of insufferable centrists everywhere, they invariably destroy themselves.
The cases of Taylor Swift, the National Trust and the England Men’s football team prove that if you gaze too long into the culture war abyss, the abyss will most certainly gaze into you.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
Why? I’m talking about how we interact with screens - not other humans
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
The key will be cost and practicality. An underrated reason why the iPhone took off so fast was that you could bung it on your contract and it only cost you a bit extra per month than a far inferior phone. And of course it was only slightly bigger than your old phone but had a much better screen and functionality.
On practicality, one issue with glasses is that even lovely Ray-Bans, people often don't want to wear them all the time. You need to be able to take them off, or leave them at home or in a bag if you know you're out getting pissed or exercising or just even just going down the shops and can't be bothered. Or if worried about them getting nicked or broken.
I think then it's unlikely they become your sole device and probably aren't a phone killer but likely - when they slim down and cost drops - a high end phone accessory. Like Apple Watches. You can keep your phone in your pocket or in your bag to use as normal and switch to your glasses when on the train, in the office or cafe. You have your lovely AR/VR piece of kit and an unobtrusive hardware backup.
Therefore it may be a little while yet, but they'll truly take over when, say, you can get them bundled relatively cheaply per month with the latest iPhone.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
I DEFINITELY want to try one!
You can i believe still book a demo at an apple store but it is far too late to actually order one of the first batch.
It's only available in the US, but you can order one for pickup tomorrow.
Which, to be fair, was true of the first gen iPhone too. I remember getting mine a few days after launch in New York.
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Spoke to someone today who had tried one. Tried to watch a film in just 'big floating screen' mode and was constantly annoyed by pets/partners/kids wandering in, out, of the screen. And also in "I'm all alone in a virtual cinema" which was, apparently, even freakier.
In The Future the AI will work your pets into the movie in real time.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
Why? I’m talking about how we interact with screens - not other humans
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
The key will be cost and practicality. An underrated reason why the iPhone took off so fast was that you could bung it on your contract and it only cost you a bit extra per month than a far inferior phone. And of course it was only slightly bigger than your old phone but had a much better screen and functionality.
On practicality, one issue with glasses is that even lovely Ray-Bans, people often don't want to wear them all the time. You need to be able to take them off, or leave them at home or in a bag if you know you're out getting pissed or exercising or just even just going down the shops and can't be bothered. Or if worried about them getting nicked or broken.
I think then it's unlikely they become your sole device and probably aren't a phone killer but likely - when they slim down and cost drops - a high end phone accessory. Like Apple Watches. You can keep your phone in your pocket or in your bag to use as normal and switch to your glasses when on the train, in the office or cafe. You have your lovely AR/VR piece of kit and an unobtrusive hardware backup.
Therefore it may be a little while yet, but they'll truly take over when, say, you can get them bundled relatively cheaply per month with the latest iPhone.
Again, no, these things are a threat - but not to smartphones - more to big ticket devices like laptops, TVs, iPads, PCs, gaming consoles - coz these can do all of that (and much more, of course) - and they can do it way better and with one device - so, despite their absurd cost, they might save you money AS WELL
Who needs a big flashy TV cluttering up the room when you can summon these up and have a cinema screen - anywhere you like?
I agree they won’t be our SOLE device. We’ll still keep smartphones - especially when out and about - but the phone will become less fundamental. Might be a good thing
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
Why? I’m talking about how we interact with screens - not other humans
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
The key will be cost and practicality. An underrated reason why the iPhone took off so fast was that you could bung it on your contract and it only cost you a bit extra per month than a far inferior phone. And of course it was only slightly bigger than your old phone but had a much better screen and functionality.
On practicality, one issue with glasses is that even lovely Ray-Bans, people often don't want to wear them all the time. You need to be able to take them off, or leave them at home or in a bag if you know you're out getting pissed or exercising or just even just going down the shops and can't be bothered. Or if worried about them getting nicked or broken.
I think then it's unlikely they become your sole device and probably aren't a phone killer but likely - when they slim down and cost drops - a high end phone accessory. Like Apple Watches. You can keep your phone in your pocket or in your bag to use as normal and switch to your glasses when on the train, in the office or cafe. You have your lovely AR/VR piece of kit and an unobtrusive hardware backup.
Therefore it may be a little while yet, but they'll truly take over when, say, you can get them bundled relatively cheaply per month with the latest iPhone.
Who needs a big flashy TV cluttering up the room when you can summon these up and have a cinema screen - anywhere you like?
We have a television. I never watch it alone - if I watch anything, I watch it with my family. It's a social thing. Wouldn't be the same with everyone wearing individual glasses
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
There isn't one. Our entire geopolitical orientation is the way it is because America's is the way America's is. That is why we like the Saudis but hate the Iranians and hate the Russians but like the Turks. If Trump succeeds in changing the USA's foreign policy dispensation (the odds are against this actually happening, because the state seems to have its own ideas regardless of the POTUS), then we will change ours, the media will tell us how correct the new way is, and PB's biggest current Putin haters will be accusing us of being traitors if we object.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
Even it it worked perfectly, the experience depends on you being the only person weaing one. If everyone is wearing them then it destroys the illusion.
What illusion ? Replacing a TV, laptop, or tablet isn't an 'illusion', but a real thing. It's only the case of mobile phones - where you lock the world out when using them in any case - that's slightly more problematic. And even that's just down to the technology improving. I spend half the year wearing sunglasses anyway, because of my eyesight.
What mass uptake would do to social interaction is more concerning.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
I get that hyperbole sells the story, but at the back of my mind I'm hearing "they said that about Google Glass too".
I can imagine that something similar but a lot smaller and lighter will eventually become popular, but all we’ve seen so far is a bunch of prototypes with a very high price acting as a huge barrier to entry.
This guy is surely right. This isn’t a new and better version of VR and AR - this is the future of all interaction with screens. You will put on sleek trendy glasses and you will have virtual keyboards you can type on, virtual computers to show your work PLUS all the apps and movies and games (and real time lip synch translation) - actual hardware from TVs to phones to laptops will be redundant. You won’t need them. Anyone who makes any of that hardware should be worried
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
If they make 250 from here they will have done pretty well.
Good effort, but the bowling is just too good on this pitch.
Although - as with last week - the batting set it up. In both innings India had a batsman who went on and scored big runs. In England's case, top scores in the 70s both times. That's the difference. If Gill had not been dropped in the second innings...
It occurred to me that we.always discuss the danger of complacency for the party leading in the polls. "They've won anyway so I can just stay at home".
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
If they get down to the size of normal spectacles, would be great for cycling round cities (speed, directions etc) and for individual sports in general.
It's essentially a military pilot's helmet.
I am genuinely tempted to get one just to build cycling directions on it. Shouldn’t be hard.
Though apparently it doesn’t have its own GPS so you have to rely on it being tethered to an iPhone.
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
There isn't one. Our entire geopolitical orientation is the way it is because America's is the way America's is. That is why we like the Saudis but hate the Iranians and hate the Russians but like the Turks. If Trump succeeds in changing the USA's foreign policy dispensation (the odds are against this actually happening, because the state seems to have its own ideas regardless of the POTUS), then we will change ours, the media will tell us how correct the new way is, and PB's biggest current Putin haters will be accusing us of being traitors if we object.
Sure thing, fool.
Apart from being a bit oversimplified and exaggerated, isn't it basically right what Luckyguy says here? I mean if Trump is elected and if he somehow manages to get the US out of NATO, which way is the UK going to jump? Obviously it would prioritise its alliance with the US, pretty sure Trump would be happy to have the UK tagging along and both countries are in so deep on the 'intelligence' and other levels it wouldn't be that easy to divorce.
If that happens might the history books write that the UK bounced the rest of European NATO into supporting an unwinnable war in Ukraine, which made continental Europe permanently poorer and weaker, fatally weakened NATO, and then flounced off at the first possible opportunity?
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
There isn't one. Our entire geopolitical orientation is the way it is because America's is the way America's is. That is why we like the Saudis but hate the Iranians and hate the Russians but like the Turks. If Trump succeeds in changing the USA's foreign policy dispensation (the odds are against this actually happening, because the state seems to have its own ideas regardless of the POTUS), then we will change ours, the media will tell us how correct the new way is, and PB's biggest current Putin haters will be accusing us of being traitors if we object.
Sure thing, fool.
Apart from being a bit oversimplified and exaggerated, isn't it basically right what Luckyguy says here? I mean if Trump is elected and if he somehow manages to get the US out of NATO, which way is the UK going to jump? Obviously it would prioritise its alliance with the US, pretty sure Trump would be happy to have the UK tagging along and both countries are in so deep on the 'intelligence' and other levels it wouldn't be that easy to divorce.
If that happens might the history books write that the UK bounced the rest of European NATO into supporting an unwinnable war in Ukraine, which made continental Europe permanently poorer and weaker, fatally weakened NATO, and then flounced off at the first possible opportunity?
Without NATO for deterrence it becomes much more urgent for European countries to prevent Russia defeating Ukraine. Currently it's plausible that Ukraine could fall and Russia would go on to take Moldova, but then proceed no further because they were deterred by NATO. Once NATO is gone, Russia will likely keep going until they meet a military power that can stop them. This is clearly a problem for the UK as well as the rest of Europe, and the UK obviously can't rely on the US if the US has just rugged the rest of Europe.
Currently the main thing that Russia has going for them in the war with Ukraine is that they care much more about attacking Ukraine than the US+EU combined do about defending it. Without NATO this would change, although it's not clear whether Europe could build up production capability fast enough to stop Ukraine being completely overrun. But Europe has got the money if it's prepared to spend it, and I guess Trump would at least *sell* the ammunition to them if they paid enough...
Ian's weight-loss adventures part 5: Another 1.5kgs off, making it 10.4 off in total in 2024. Another 5 kgs off gets me back to the lightest I have been in Scotland (and shows how I utterly gave up for a few years).
I'm still holding back on exercise, partly because I want to hold something in reserve for once my rate of loss slows, partly because I want to lose more weight and take the pressure off myself before I start pounding up and down.
If we were to see American nuclear warheads stationed in Britain could Trump use them as leverage over us in some way? We need to prepare for the the fact that in less than 12 months we may have a President of the United States who is an effective enemy of this country.
We can't be sure how a second Trump Presidency will play out but the signs of closeness to Putin are ominous. Just as we are seeing greater co-ordination between China, Russia and Iran. Given how much Trump was a China hawk to begin with this seems curious. We may have to accept the freezing of the 'special' relationship.
The best thing would be to given Ukraine more support now to hopefully weaken Putin as much as possible. Ridicule him as Beijing's poodle. Showing fealty towards such a figure would make Trump look ridiculous. And I don't think he wants to look ridiculous.
Alternatively prepare to abandon Ukraine, and join Trump in cosying up to Putin. What's the problem?
There isn't one. Our entire geopolitical orientation is the way it is because America's is the way America's is. That is why we like the Saudis but hate the Iranians and hate the Russians but like the Turks. If Trump succeeds in changing the USA's foreign policy dispensation (the odds are against this actually happening, because the state seems to have its own ideas regardless of the POTUS), then we will change ours, the media will tell us how correct the new way is, and PB's biggest current Putin haters will be accusing us of being traitors if we object.
Sure thing, fool.
Apart from being a bit oversimplified and exaggerated, isn't it basically right what Luckyguy says here? I mean if Trump is elected and if he somehow manages to get the US out of NATO, which way is the UK going to jump? Obviously it would prioritise its alliance with the US, pretty sure Trump would be happy to have the UK tagging along and both countries are in so deep on the 'intelligence' and other levels it wouldn't be that easy to divorce.
If that happens might the history books write that the UK bounced the rest of European NATO into supporting an unwinnable war in Ukraine, which made continental Europe permanently poorer and weaker, fatally weakened NATO, and then flounced off at the first possible opportunity?
Would it ? More likely that we try to straddle the divide, in the hope that US policy reversed. And a Trump led US would be - as he's made very clear - an utterly unreliable ally.
In any event, none of the choices would be good ones. And those pretending that the conquest of Ukraine would be consequence free are fools.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
It occurred to me that we.always discuss the danger of complacency for the party leading in the polls. "They've won anyway so I can just stay at home".
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
If I were Reform, it's the line I'd be pushing.
Let’s see what happens in Wellingborough!
Blue skies and fluffy white clouds out of my window this morning! Looks good
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
All policy is currently skewed to their most reliable voting demographic. Which even in those cynical terms is unsustainable.
The whole article is interesting. This reinforces the point that today's young are unlikely to become tomorrow's Tory base. ..Younger people, their research has found, do not have the financial assets that their parents and grandparents did. In 2010, those under 40 held £7.53 of every £100 of wealth. By 2020, that had fallen to £3.98. One-third of the UK’s 14 million Gen-Xers are at high risk of retiring on insufficient income...
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
Its gone bust. Its run by Tory commissioners appointed by government.
Again, the less we spend on intervention with kids, the more we spend on police, the legal system and healthcare. You think I am just talking about Birmingham?
It occurred to me that we.always discuss the danger of complacency for the party leading in the polls. "They've won anyway so I can just stay at home".
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
If I were Reform, it's the line I'd be pushing.
Let’s see what happens in Wellingborough!
Blue skies and fluffy white clouds out of my window this morning! Looks good
An easy Labour win and a decent Reform performance.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
They're just part of the wider systemic problem of local government funding - which is most certainly central government's fault, especially the failure to reform local tax (which means, inter aliis, that KCIII pays less on Buck House than a Blackpool semi owner, which is crazy).
It occurred to me that we.always discuss the danger of complacency for the party leading in the polls. "They've won anyway so I can just stay at home".
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
If I were Reform, it's the line I'd be pushing.
Let’s see what happens in Wellingborough!
Blue skies and fluffy white clouds out of my window this morning! Looks good
Bin's just blown over here - had to go out and rescure it and put a rock on it ...
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
I suspect the wider argument is that on the Tories' watch, local authorities including as many Tory administrations as Labour are filing section 114 notices.
But hey I am sure we can blame New Labour or Ed Davey for the last 14 years of mismanagement.
Booyoung to give employees 100 mil. won per birth https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=368254 ..With a plan to continue offering its employees 100 million won per birth, the company also vowed to allow workers with more than three children to choose between 300 million won and permanent rental housing sized below 85 square meters, if the government provides land to build the homes.
"If Korea's birthrate remains low, the country will face the crisis of extinction in 20 years," Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun said at the company's New Year ceremony, Monday. "The low birthrate results from financial burdens and difficulties in balancing work and family life, so we decided to take such a drastic measure."
This is the first time for a Korean company to pay such a large amount of money to encourage its employees to have children...
Ian's weight-loss adventures part 5: Another 1.5kgs off, making it 10.4 off in total in 2024. Another 5 kgs off gets me back to the lightest I have been in Scotland (and shows how I utterly gave up for a few years).
I'm still holding back on exercise, partly because I want to hold something in reserve for once my rate of loss slows, partly because I want to lose more weight and take the pressure off myself before I start pounding up and down.
You weighed less in Scotland as soon as you moved there, because up there, the surface of the globe has less rotational speed…
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
They're just part of the wider systemic problem of local government funding - which is most certainly central government's fault, especially the failure to reform local tax (which means, inter aliis, that KCIII pays less on Buck House than a Blackpool semi owner, which is crazy).
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
Its gone bust. Its run by Tory commissioners appointed by government.
Again, the less we spend on intervention with kids, the more we spend on police, the legal system and healthcare. You think I am just talking about Birmingham?
You replied to a thread about Birmingham and criticised a decision by the cash strapped Birmingham council.
It has gone bust because of the long legacy of financial mismanagement, largely due to Labour administrations but also the coalition. The Commissioners were sent in last October so clearly are responsible for everything that went on before because, Tories, even though the S114 was issued in September.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
All policy is currently skewed to their most reliable voting demographic. Which even in those cynical terms is unsustainable.
The whole article is interesting. This reinforces the point that today's young are unlikely to become tomorrow's Tory base. ..Younger people, their research has found, do not have the financial assets that their parents and grandparents did. In 2010, those under 40 held £7.53 of every £100 of wealth. By 2020, that had fallen to £3.98. One-third of the UK’s 14 million Gen-Xers are at high risk of retiring on insufficient income...
This retirement age thing - I've long suspected that the official age will keep sliding away from me the closer I get (I'm currently 20 years away from today's retirement age).
I'm enjoying my recent transition from employment into consultancy, we're 2 months into our shop business and I have an idea for another business I have started planning for. I have YouTube which could be spun out into its own business (with more channels), I'm regaining my interest in politics. And I own land with (lapsed) planning permission to build a house on.
So I'll be ok. But think about it - we can't all work until we're 71. Aside from the basic physical realities of people being unable to do their current jobs that late on in life, the jobs just don't exist.
Once again as a country we know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Our social security provision is pathetic compared to so many neighbouring countries and we're preparing to make it even worse.
Then PB Tories insist nothing is broken, everything is fine and they should be re-elected...
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
I suspect the wider argument is that on the Tories' watch, local authorities including as many Tory administrations as Labour are filing section 114 notices.
But hey I am sure we can blame New Labour or Ed Davey for the last 14 years of mismanagement.
Each council exists in isolation and there are different reasons for the S114's however Birmingham, like Nottingham, is clearly down to poor management by previous councils. In both cases mainly labour.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
They're just part of the wider systemic problem of local government funding - which is most certainly central government's fault, especially the failure to reform local tax (which means, inter aliis, that KCIII pays less on Buck House than a Blackpool semi owner, which is crazy).
In some cases this is clearly correct but in the case of Brum and Nottingham , for example, it is not. Both Birmingham and Nottinghams woes are largely down to mismanagement.
I said here at the time the NI Cut was announced it was pointless giving with one hand if the govt was going to starve councils with the other.
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
Between 2004 and 2012 Birmingham Council was NOC and run by Con/LD.
The equal pay case was 2012, based upon previous years.
It occurred to me that we.always discuss the danger of complacency for the party leading in the polls. "They've won anyway so I can just stay at home".
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
If I were Reform, it's the line I'd be pushing.
Let’s see what happens in Wellingborough!
Blue skies and fluffy white clouds out of my window this morning! Looks good
An easy Labour win and a decent Reform performance.
I'd expect.
Wellingborough may be inverse Hartlepool. Not only have the Tories managed to select the worst candidate possible in the circumstances, they aren't campaigning in fear of what people will say to them.
So the opportunity really is there for ReFUK to come second. If they do? The impossible surely must become possible. They can't carry on with Rishi or they will get demolished - losing Wellingborough to Labour and coming 3rd behind the FUKers really points the way towards ELE.
So for your alt-right hard of thinking Tory MP, what do you do? Is there a foaming right unity candidate you can all coalesce behind? I would expect a visit from Mrs Brady with the pearl handle rather than a formal leadership challenge. But who is next? Braverman? Badenoch? Patel? Shapps?
The other option is the brave one. The top* 25 foaming right Tory MPs approach the lord Nigel, say they will immediately defect if he takes over the leadership. They have little to lose - the polls say they are doomed anyway. So why not roll the dice?
*yes I know. "top" is not a good word when we're talking about MPs with an average IQ of 87
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
I suspect the wider argument is that on the Tories' watch, local authorities including as many Tory administrations as Labour are filing section 114 notices.
But hey I am sure we can blame New Labour or Ed Davey for the last 14 years of mismanagement.
Perhaps this is another example of the dangers of having a process.
Section 114 implicitly assumes that councils can only get into trouble by frivolous spending, and that the solution is therefore to have someone stern looking over the books and cutting waste. And that probably was true, once upon a time.
Thing is that recent government decisions have shrunk the window for councils to set a viable budget to somewhere between eyewateringly tight and nonexistent.
Here in Romford, Havering council have been frugal forever. The only way they can get the coming year's budget to work is to get permission to borrow about £50 million for day to day spending, which is no solution at all;
Sure as eggs is eggs, youth crime will explode in Brum in coming years.
Tragic to see my home town brought this low...
Sam Freedman @Samfr Birmingham children's services to be cut by around 25%. First wave of cuts include these. This is a very obvious disaster in the making.
This is so utterly stupid. We need to spend more on our kids - throw money at early years and you get it back many times over in money saved in crime and health.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
BIrmingham is labour run, its debts are a legacy of several prior administrations, mostly labour.
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
Between 2004 and 2012 Birmingham Council was NOC and run by Con/LD.
The equal pay case was 2012, based upon previous years.
I did refer to it being run historically by labour and a coalition.
The equal pay claim goes back many years. It predates the coalition.
Comments
He’s moved into a new sphere where he can do want he likes thanks to Musk
The authority declared itself effectively bankrupt in September amid an equal pay claim of up to £760m and an £80m overspend on an IT system.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-67682872
And it seems not the first time Birmingham council has been at fault on this issue:
Birmingham City Council has a shameful record of discriminating against its women workers.
The Council was forced to pay out over a billion pounds in 2012 for underpaying those employees working jobs mainly done by women, and council officials have admitted that they have a new equal pay debt that could be as much as £760 million – and growing.
https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaigns/birmingham-pay-justice/
Though the IT overspend is also impressively inept:
The new leader of Birmingham City Council has revealed the council expects to overspend by £80m on its new IT system Oracle.
The Oracle system, which is designed to streamline payments and HR operations, was expected to cost around £20m and meant to be rolled out in 2020.
Instead, there has been a three year delay with Cllr Cotton expecting the total cost to run to £100m in total.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2074649-council-to-overspend-by-80m-on-it-system
People on TwiX are saying it’s incredible, like using the first iPhone
$3500
But I’d buy one tomorrow for the lolz - if I wasn’t in Cambodia, which is a little lacking in its Apple retail
https://x.com/billym2k/status/1754133223549112817?s=46
In the pecking order of queens of pop I’d put her behind Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and possibly Whitney but ahead of Britney, Mariah, Kylie and possibly Beyonce.
She writes brilliantly catchy pop songs, and as a result she’s worth £70 trillion
Presumably if this so easy, and requires such meagre talent, you’ve done it yourself and you are commenting from your private island in the Caymans
Indeed she’s more like a country pop version of Joni Mitchell. A poppier version of a brilliant singer songwriter
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/04/labour-plans-extend-equal-pay-rights-black-asian-minority-ethnic-staff
Or are you actually writing on some knackered old PC in some dingy house in regional Britain, six miles from the nearest Lidl, because it turns out it takes more than a “tiny little talent” to make a fortune from writing and performing pop songs?
But we agree that she is genuinely very talented. And I often find her quite annoying - I just can’t deny the genius catchiness of the songs
She was quite brave when she was very young about her voracious sexuality - that got her into trouble
Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time)
“pay white men less”
legislation. Save a lot of typing
https://x.com/dieworkwear/status/1754265186045952299?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
Though of course some ethnic minorities already earn more than white British men eg British Chinese and Indians
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48919813
His very next tweet
“tbh as someone who lives in a small apartment, the opportunity to see films on a giant screen through this thing does seem pretty cool. just not cool enough for me to pay $4k”
This does seem to be one of the major advantages, even a wow moment. You can recreate cinema experience in your head - apparently
I’d certainly like to try one
This seems to me to be the first beta but actually useful version of tech which will become much sleeker and entirely ubiquitous in about 5-10 years
Cf the BlackBerry to the iPhone
Did Grunwick not happen?
It's essentially a military pilot's helmet.
It has to be quite firmly attached to be able to calibrate the distance of the display from your eyes, otherwise it becomes blurry.
In France, a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdxM72EZ94
Republicans against Trump
@RpsAgainstTrump
Donald Trump:
“Think of President Xi. Central casting, brilliant guy...He runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. Smart, brilliant everything perfect”
Do conservatives really want a man who praises and admires the Chinese communist dictator to be the GOP nominee for president?
===
#QTWTAIY
Tory 24.4%
RefUK 10.4%
Which means RefUK are taking 30% of the total Con+Ref vote at the moment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election
And they won’t be clunky oculus/fighter pilot helmets, they will be like cool Raybans
https://x.com/casey/status/1753848769118970152?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
And eventually they will be contact lenses
And then eventually, via neuralink, we will be melded with the AI and the tech will be in our heads. It WILL be our heads
This isn’t about equal pay for the *same* jobs.
It’s about equal pay for jobs of equal *value*
The judgement that bankrupted Birmingham Council was that some jobs, which were different actual jobs, had equal worth. Therefore deserved equal pay.
Another header?
This tech potentially replaces ALL other screens: TV, phone, laptop, PC, tablet, cinema. You can type and touch and gawp and munch popcorn on the plane watching a 100 foot wide screen, with one headset. You’ll actually save money
The same way the smartphone replaced the phone, camera, notebook, diary, calculator etc
You’re talking about using it outdoors, socially. Who knows how it will impact there
Maybe I'm too much of a late adopter but I'm still sceptical.
https://nickcohen.substack.com/p/think-too-hard-about-the-culture-c25
"To win the culture wars you must display moderation in all things. Take it to excess, dear reader, and disaster will follow.
Each side has a case their opponents cannot see. But despite their causes containing a smidgeon of truth, culture warriors cannot help heading off to the extremes, where, to the smug satisfaction of insufferable centrists everywhere, they invariably destroy themselves.
The cases of Taylor Swift, the National Trust and the England Men’s football team prove that if you gaze too long into the culture war abyss, the abyss will most certainly gaze into you.
https://www.anthonycollins.com/insights/news/landmark-ruling-equal-pay/
On practicality, one issue with glasses is that even lovely Ray-Bans, people often don't want to wear them all the time. You need to be able to take them off, or leave them at home or in a bag if you know you're out getting pissed or exercising or just even just going down the shops and can't be bothered. Or if worried about them getting nicked or broken.
I think then it's unlikely they become your sole device and probably aren't a phone killer but likely - when they slim down and cost drops - a high end phone accessory. Like Apple Watches. You can keep your phone in your pocket or in your bag to use as normal and switch to your glasses when on the train, in the office or cafe. You have your lovely AR/VR piece of kit and an unobtrusive hardware backup.
Therefore it may be a little while yet, but they'll truly take over when, say, you can get them bundled relatively cheaply per month with the latest iPhone.
Which, to be fair, was true of the first gen iPhone too. I remember getting mine a few days after launch in New York.
Oh, hold on, that's mice. As you were, 😀
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/67781084
Who needs a big flashy TV cluttering up the room when you can summon these up and have a cinema screen - anywhere you like?
I agree they won’t be our SOLE device. We’ll still keep smartphones - especially when out and about - but the phone will become less fundamental. Might be a good thing
Not that it was ever likely.
If they make 250 from here they will have done pretty well.
Replacing a TV, laptop, or tablet isn't an 'illusion', but a real thing.
It's only the case of mobile phones - where you lock the world out when using them in any case - that's slightly more problematic. And even that's just down to the technology improving.
I spend half the year wearing sunglasses anyway, because of my eyesight.
What mass uptake would do to social interaction is more concerning.
Why would I want to watch a film or play a game while walking down the street?
But the Tories are doing so badly there might be the opposite effect too.
"The Tories have lost anyway so I can vote Reform and register my displeasure with them. I won't be letting Labour in because they are going to win whatever."
If I were Reform, it's the line I'd be pushing.
Though apparently it doesn’t have its own GPS so you have to rely on it being tethered to an iPhone.
If that happens might the history books write that the UK bounced the rest of European NATO into supporting an unwinnable war in Ukraine, which made continental Europe permanently poorer and weaker, fatally weakened NATO, and then flounced off at the first possible opportunity?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9135954
Currently the main thing that Russia has going for them in the war with Ukraine is that they care much more about attacking Ukraine than the US+EU combined do about defending it. Without NATO this would change, although it's not clear whether Europe could build up production capability fast enough to stop Ukraine being completely overrun. But Europe has got the money if it's prepared to spend it, and I guess Trump would at least *sell* the ammunition to them if they paid enough...
I'm still holding back on exercise, partly because I want to hold something in reserve for once my rate of loss slows, partly because I want to lose more weight and take the pressure off myself before I start pounding up and down.
More likely that we try to straddle the divide, in the hope that US policy reversed.
And a Trump led US would be - as he's made very clear - an utterly unreliable ally.
In any event, none of the choices would be good ones. And those pretending that the conquest of Ukraine would be consequence free are fools.
Idiot Tories. Utter fools.
Carp diem if you prefer
It also has a large, longstanding, claim for equal pay outstanding.
Still, it is all the Tories fault.
Blue skies and fluffy white clouds out of my window this morning! Looks good
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/uk-to-scrap-boiler-tax-and-government-will-take-pragmatic-approach/ar-BB1hMGrg?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=4a5bb7b2423b433aa0bb87f717587142&ei=38
UK state pension age will soon need to rise to 71, say experts
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/feb/05/uk-state-pension-age-will-soon-need-to-rise-to-71-say-experts
The whole article is interesting. This reinforces the point that today's young are unlikely to become tomorrow's Tory base.
..Younger people, their research has found, do not have the financial assets that their parents and grandparents did. In 2010, those under 40 held £7.53 of every £100 of wealth. By 2020, that had fallen to £3.98. One-third of the UK’s 14 million Gen-Xers are at high risk of retiring on insufficient income...
Again, the less we spend on intervention with kids, the more we spend on police, the legal system and healthcare. You think I am just talking about Birmingham?
I'd expect.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/04/tories-starved-councils-thinking-no-one-cared-now-bust-and-we-care-very-much
many Tory administrations as Labour are
filing section 114 notices.
But hey I am sure we can blame New Labour or Ed Davey for the last 14 years of mismanagement.
Booyoung to give employees 100 mil. won per birth
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=368254
..With a plan to continue offering its employees 100 million won per birth, the company also vowed to allow workers with more than three children to choose between 300 million won and permanent rental housing sized below 85 square meters, if the government provides land to build the homes.
"If Korea's birthrate remains low, the country will face the crisis of extinction in 20 years," Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun said at the company's New Year ceremony, Monday. "The low birthrate results from financial burdens and difficulties in balancing work and family life, so we decided to take such a drastic measure."
This is the first time for a Korean company to pay such a large amount of money to encourage its employees to have children...
To be fair it told me they were different because they were covered by different regulations…
You replied to a thread about Birmingham and criticised a decision by the cash strapped Birmingham council.
It has gone bust because of the long legacy of financial mismanagement, largely due to Labour administrations but also the coalition. The Commissioners were sent in last October so clearly are responsible for everything that went on before because, Tories, even though the S114 was issued in September.
I'm enjoying my recent transition from employment into consultancy, we're 2 months into our shop business and I have an idea for another business I have started planning for. I have YouTube which could be spun out into its own business (with more channels), I'm regaining my interest in politics. And I own land with (lapsed) planning permission to build a house on.
So I'll be ok. But think about it - we can't all work until we're 71. Aside from the basic physical realities of people being unable to do their current jobs that late on in life, the jobs just don't exist.
Once again as a country we know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Our social security provision is pathetic compared to so many neighbouring countries and we're preparing to make it even worse.
Then PB Tories insist nothing is broken, everything is fine and they should be re-elected...
Each council exists in isolation and there are different reasons for the S114's however Birmingham, like Nottingham, is clearly down to poor management by previous councils. In both cases mainly labour.
I said here at the time the NI Cut was announced it was pointless giving with one hand if the govt was going to starve councils with the other.
The equal pay case was 2012, based upon previous years.
So the opportunity really is there for ReFUK to come second. If they do? The impossible surely must become possible. They can't carry on with Rishi or they will get demolished - losing Wellingborough to Labour and coming 3rd behind the FUKers really points the way towards ELE.
So for your alt-right hard of thinking Tory MP, what do you do? Is there a foaming right unity candidate you can all coalesce behind? I would expect a visit from Mrs Brady with the pearl handle rather than a formal leadership challenge. But who is next? Braverman? Badenoch? Patel? Shapps?
The other option is the brave one. The top* 25 foaming right Tory MPs approach the lord Nigel, say they will immediately defect if he takes over the leadership. They have little to lose - the polls say they are doomed anyway. So why not roll the dice?
*yes I know. "top" is not a good word when we're talking about MPs with an average IQ of 87
Section 114 implicitly assumes that councils can only get into trouble by frivolous spending, and that the solution is therefore to have someone stern looking over the books and cutting waste. And that probably was true, once upon a time.
Thing is that recent government decisions have shrunk the window for councils to set a viable budget to somewhere between eyewateringly tight and nonexistent.
Here in Romford, Havering council have been frugal forever. The only way they can get the coming year's budget to work is to get permission to borrow about £50 million for day to day spending, which is no solution at all;
https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2024/02/02/ministers-admit-havering-budget-crisis-caused-by-structural-government-funding-issues-and-not-poor-council-leadership/
The equal pay claim goes back many years. It predates the coalition.
Still, it is all the Tories fault, isn't it.