Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Jeepers, this is the second time in an hour I've been moved to support you.
If it was quiet and the chances of anyone needing the bay were next door to zero why not use your common sense and occupy the disabled bay? Bad luck there was an officious twat around without any common sense, mais c'sest la vie.
I need a lie down.
It sounds like a cock and ball story.
Tell you what, I'll try and get you a streetview. It happened in Oppede Le Vieux in the Luberon
I might even fly out there tomorrow and take some photos to show you the entire set up, with a letter from the maire and les gendarmes confirming that this is a very narrow uphill one way road (which are not unknown in the Luberon) often hedged in by limestone walls (which makes them beautiful, but a bugger to negotiate if there are any issues)
This may well be the stupidest argument in the history of PB, a classic of its kind. I hope it rumbles on for years
88 for a majority, so any government requires two of the big three parties, and it would be pretty hard for FF or FG to do a deal with SF given what all three parties said about each other during the campaign. So who do FF+FG do a deal with?
The talk is that they'll go to Independents, but this might be a negotiating tactic to lower the price paid for support from Labour or the Social Democrats. No fourth party on above 10 seats, so the small parties don't offer much more in the way of reliable support than the Independents, compared to the 12 seats that the Green party delivered to the last coalition.
Perhaps Labour and the Social Democrats will do a deal between themselves to negotiate together to form a coalition with FF+FG? This might drive FF/FG to form a deal with Independents to avoid encouraging that sort of behaviour from the smaller left-wing parties. I think that's the most likely outcome.
Much though I understand why they think they have to do it, keeping SF excluded is only going to end one way in the end isn’t it?
If SF are good enough to govern in the North of Ireland, why not the Republic?
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Jeepers, this is the second time in an hour I've been moved to support you.
If it was quiet and the chances of anyone needing the bay were next door to zero why not use your common sense and occupy the disabled bay? Bad luck there was an officious twat around without any common sense, mais c'sest la vie.
I need a lie down.
It sounds like a cock and ball story.
Tell you what, I'll try and get you a streetview. It happened in Oppede Le Vieux in the Luberon
I might even fly out there tomorrow and take some photos to show you the entire set up, with a letter from the maire and les gendarmes confirming that this is a very narrow uphill one way road (which are not unknown in the Luberon) often hedged in by limestone walls (which makes them beautiful, but a bugger to negotiate if there are any issues)
This may well be the stupidest argument in the history of PB, a classic of its kind. I hope it rumbles on for years
Question: did the huge shortage of men in post WW2 Germany (6 million were killed) impact its demographics and recovery, and are the effects of that still being felt today?
Germany got vast quantities of American gold to rebuild the left-hand side of the country, together with a good supply of what Keynes described as shovel-ready projects (on account of the allies having flattened the place). There were no European competitors for most of its industry, also on account of the war, and the prototype EU meant large markets.
A more recent hit to the German economy was absorbing the poorer East Germany.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Jeepers, this is the second time in an hour I've been moved to support you.
If it was quiet and the chances of anyone needing the bay were next door to zero why not use your common sense and occupy the disabled bay? Bad luck there was an officious twat around without any common sense, mais c'sest la vie.
I need a lie down.
It sounds like a cock and ball story.
"Bull". Don't want to know about your cock and balls.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Lol. Go on give us a picture of the actual road and parking bay rather than something that doesn't fit your description whatsoever. Can't be difficult to find on street view in the village can it. I think you are making it up and if nothing else this is great fun.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1h Blairites are in despair over Keir Starmer’s flailing leadership. My weekend article for The Independent, free to read www.independent.co.uk/voices/starm...
Summary: Everyone knows that Starmer and Reeves are wrong but no-one can say what they would do instead.
The critique is sharper than that. This is astute:
"Above all, what some Blairites fear is that Starmer lacks the ability to communicate a sense of hope – that the work of his government will be organised around delivering just two or three believable improvements in people’s lives. Instead, as Ian Leslie, the cultural commentator, observes about the election: “What have been the three biggest political debates since then, all initiated by the government? Means-testing of the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, inheritance tax for farmers, and assisted dying. Ageing, death, death.”"
This government is just so DEPRESSING. All they do is moan and bleat and whine about even more pain ahead. And Starmer and Reeves do it in their reedy pathetic voices, while lecturing you about your smoking and drinking, or maybe criticising you for laughing too much
Yeah, there may be pain ahead, but there are still ways of evincing optimism. This is what Rayner manages to convey, almost uniquely in the government. She looks like she enjoys life, she doesn't mind you having an extra sherry she's got an optimistic disposition, and the UK desperately needs that
Fair point. And the point is true. Labour's greatest weakness is is the 'hope, where are we going, how are we going to get there' department. The media and opposition (including friendly media like the New Statesman) are full of problem description and 'no idea, don't know' stuff - see Andrew Marr for example - rather than alternative and solution based analyses. It's getting a bit boring.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Nice to see traffic calming on it
We need to send @Leon up on a mountain bike (or down on a skateboard) Bamford Clough in the Peak District.
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Except that you are allowed to drive in, if you have a resident's permit, which I did, as I was borrowing my friend's house and he'd secured a temporary permit for me
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Hahahahahaha.
I had a parking permit as a temporary resident, expressly allowing me to enter Oppede Le Vieux and park there
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Hahahahahaha.
Yes, there is an an enormous car park Parking Sainte-Cécile so you can enjoy the pedestrianised village in peace and quiet.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Hahahahahaha.
Yes, there is an an enormous car park Parking Sainte-Cécile so you can enjoy the pedestrianised village in peace and quiet.
Looks beautiful, thanks for the tip Leon!
It's magnificent. And partly because it is so hard to access - !! - it is surprisingly untouristed. Just don't visit when the tree surgeons are having a break for drinks
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Hahahahahaha.
I had a parking permit as a temporary resident, expressly allowing me to enter Oppede Le Vieux and park there
So where is the parking bay and where is the tree (or where a tree could have been?) Certainly not on that road (even if that is a road). Go on get a picture from street view. Quicker than wasting your time arguing with me. Best wind up I have had in ages.
First count from Dun Laoghaire - 1 FG TD elected, FG vote up, PBP vote down, though probably still has enough to be elected. Green vote heavily down, Social Democrats up.
Seat change might be that a second FG TD is elected to replace the Green TD.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
According to their website, driving is not permitted and you're supposed to park outside it and walk in (except for disabled people, I suppose). Hence the lack of google streetview.
That's probably where you went wrong.
Hahahahahaha.
I had a parking permit as a temporary resident, expressly allowing me to enter Oppede Le Vieux and park there
So where is the parking bay and where is the tree (or where a tree could have been?) Certainly not on that road (even if that is a road). Go on get a picture from street view. Quicker than wasting your time arguing with me. Best wind up I have had in ages.
Nowhere for the birds on the trees.
They'll have to be on the road and pretend to be animals...
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
Rebels have now entered the northern outskirts of Hama. Will the Syrian army fight to defend Homs?
Can there be anything of Syria left to fight over?!
It is so sad. Aleppo, before the war, was one of the great antique cities of the Levant. A perfectly preserved medieval souk, amongst much else
There is a Mediterranean port for the Russians, and ground supply routes from Iran to Lebanon.
But, yes, the civil war has continued for more than 13 years now. Immense destruction.
I still feel a genuine heartache over Palmyra. Those ISIS c*nts
It was one of the most spellbinding monuments of antiquity. This jewel of a city in the middle of the desert. You used to be able to stay in a hotel inside the ruinations, so at night you would walk out into the temples and shrines and arcades, under the desert stars
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
I'm off to the shops
Careful where you park.
That made me laugh out loud. Best post so far from an excellent list. Liked the road calming one also. Normally takes a lot more than that to wind you up @Leon . Come on @leon take it on the chin; that was fun. I have a group of friends here in hysterics.
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
Simon Harris from FG is the current Taoiseach so they will be rotating.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
I'm off to the shops
Careful where you park.
That made me laugh out loud. Best post so far from an excellent list. Liked the road calming one also. Normally takes a lot more than that to wind you up @Leon . Come on @leon take it on the chin; that was fun. I have a group of friends here in hysterics.
Er, I'm not taking it seriously, nor am I wound up; I was mildly enjoying a ridiculously trivial argument. PB is good for those
Tho I do hope you are lying about the friends gathered around the laptop "in hysterics", because that would be downright weird, and tinged with the tragedy of bathos
Another day when I'm glad I'm not a professional punter - time to give backing horses a break for a while.
Elsewhere, the Irish election is going to be a nail-biter or a cliffhanger depending on whether you bite your nails or hang off cliffs. Tentaive thought is FF and FG will be close enough to the 88 seat number to form a Government with perhaps Social Democrat support (?). Long way to go.
Syria - calling it a "mess" is understatement par excellence but for all taking Aleppo and even Homs would be an achievement for the "opposition", the two real prizes would be Damascus to the south and Tartus to the west. When all this happened before, I thought the opposition needed to do a deal with the Russians to ensure the latter would remain with access to Tartus and to not do so only strengthened the alliance between Moscow and Assad.
That was before Russian commitments elesewhere and it remains to be seen what they would do IF the opposition started to seriously threaten Damascus but that's a way off. Aleppo to Homs is about 120 miles, Homs to Damascus about another 100.
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
Simon Harris from FG is the current Taoiseach so they will be rotating.
If FF are far enough ahead of FG they may insist that Martin is Taoiseach for the entirety of the next government. The change of Taoiseach at the beginning of the government in that situation wouldn't be like the rotating Taoiseach between Martin and Varadkar in the previous government.
Independent Ireland will be very happy with the increased vote for their candidate in Limerick County, the incumbent Richard O'Donoghue, who put on more than 4k votes. They might do better than the exit poll suggested.
Another day when I'm glad I'm not a professional punter - time to give backing horses a break for a while.
Elsewhere, the Irish election is going to be a nail-biter or a cliffhanger depending on whether you bite your nails or hang off cliffs. Tentaive thought is FF and FG will be close enough to the 88 seat number to form a Government with perhaps Social Democrat support (?). Long way to go.
Syria - calling it a "mess" is understatement par excellence but for all taking Aleppo and even Homs would be an achievement for the "opposition", the two real prizes would be Damascus to the south and Tartus to the west. When all this happened before, I thought the opposition needed to do a deal with the Russians to ensure the latter would remain with access to Tartus and to not do so only strengthened the alliance between Moscow and Assad.
That was before Russian commitments elesewhere and it remains to be seen what they would do IF the opposition started to seriously threaten Damascus but that's a way off. Aleppo to Homs is about 120 miles, Homs to Damascus about another 100.
Reuters is reporting that the Russians have promised to send additional assistance to Syria within 72 hours, according to sources from within the Syrian military. Maybe they'll send the North Koreans?
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
I'm off to the shops
Careful where you park.
That made me laugh out loud. Best post so far from an excellent list. Liked the road calming one also. Normally takes a lot more than that to wind you up @Leon . Come on @leon take it on the chin; that was fun. I have a group of friends here in hysterics.
Er, I'm not taking it seriously, nor am I wound up; I was mildly enjoying a ridiculously trivial argument. PB is good for those
Tho I do hope you are lying about the friends gathered around the laptop "in hysterics", because that would be downright weird, and tinged with the tragedy of bathos
It was good fun. Sadly I'm not lying. On my phone. Not sure why you think it weird. There are 4 of us here taking part in the discussion and my wife has really been enjoying it.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
I'm off to the shops
Careful where you park.
That made me laugh out loud. Best post so far from an excellent list. Liked the road calming one also. Normally takes a lot more than that to wind you up @Leon . Come on @leon take it on the chin; that was fun. I have a group of friends here in hysterics.
Er, I'm not taking it seriously, nor am I wound up; I was mildly enjoying a ridiculously trivial argument. PB is good for those
Tho I do hope you are lying about the friends gathered around the laptop "in hysterics", because that would be downright weird, and tinged with the tragedy of bathos
It was good fun. Sadly I'm not lying. Not sure why you think it weird. There are 4 of us here taking part in the discussion and my wife has really been enjoying it.
Just an odd mental picture.... but if you're happy I'm happy. I'm glad to offer entertainment!
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
A 12 seat difference is right on the cusp, I'd say. But given the relative momentum I'd expect a FF Taoiseach, FG Tánaiste for the whole term.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
First count in Laois. Bit embarrassing for SF. Brian Stanley, dropped by SF and running as an independent after he resigned form SF following a complaint that was referred to the gardai, has now received more first preference votes than the SF candidate.
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
The betting says yes. Michael Martin is the favourite by far. That's where my money is.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
But you're not disabled.
If I bang my head against my desk any harder I might induce some kind of disabling cognitive deficit
I'm off to the shops
Careful where you park.
That made me laugh out loud. Best post so far from an excellent list. Liked the road calming one also. Normally takes a lot more than that to wind you up @Leon . Come on @leon take it on the chin; that was fun. I have a group of friends here in hysterics.
Er, I'm not taking it seriously, nor am I wound up; I was mildly enjoying a ridiculously trivial argument. PB is good for those
Tho I do hope you are lying about the friends gathered around the laptop "in hysterics", because that would be downright weird, and tinged with the tragedy of bathos
It was good fun. Sadly I'm not lying. Not sure why you think it weird. There are 4 of us here taking part in the discussion and my wife has really been enjoying it.
Just an odd mental picture.... but if you're happy I'm happy. I'm glad to offer entertainment!
Yep it was good, thanks. Off to dinner now. For a recommendation I ate at 22 in Cambridge yesterday. Absolutely fabulous meal. Recommend to anyone who appreciates good food. As yo know I am not a fan of fish, but take this as an opportunity to try it. 3 of the course were fish and I thoroughly enjoyed all 3. Had 7 different wines with the meal also which was great even though I know little about them.
Question: did the huge shortage of men in post WW2 Germany (6 million were killed) impact its demographics and recovery, and are the effects of that still being felt today?
Probably 4 million dead, but there were vast numbers in Soviet POW camps until the mid 1950s too.
On the other hand quite a young demographic and several million Volks-Deutch expelled from Poland, Czechoslovakia etc, and also a well educated and technically skilled population.
Until 1948 things were extremely hard, but the currency reform of 1948 creating the Deutschmark, and the abolition of price controls under Adenauer spurred off a period of rapid economic growth.
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
To answer Moonrabbit's question, we cannot really know what a victorious Sunak Government would have done. What a good Conservative government would do would be to cut Government spending, particularly in terms of CS personnel - back to 2014 levels initially. There was no shortage of Government in 2014. Then move the economy forward with targeted tax cuts on business and innovation, planning reform, Labour market reform. And get cheap, secure domestically sourced energy as the overriding priority. Cheapest energy in Europe as an initial goal.
No one can address the ballooning welfare budget while the triple lock still exists.
It's hard to tackle the numbers off sick with mental health issues without investment in that Cinderella of the NHS, mental health services. Often what the anxious and depressed need is a purpose in life, and getting back to work is a step towards that. Work gives a reason to get out of bed, social contact and income. Getting people back into work is a key part of therapy, but should be carrot more than stick.
No wonder we have a 2 year wait for CAMHS assessment when a quarter of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist posts in the country are vacant and unfillable.
I have sympathy with some of your arguments, but you must acknowledge that in other countries they have none of the things you mention and their economies are outpacing ours by miles.
SKS made it clear in the run up to the election that the country needed to return to economic growth in order to spend money on services. He has now reversed that, and declares that we must splurge on services to see growth. That's nonsense and precisely no country has ever seen that trajectory. He has now dropped his target of seeing the strongest growth in the G7. He's an economy destroyer.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
There are more questions than answers as someone once said.
Could be the convulsions of a dying regime? Perhaps factional fighting between pro-Iranian and pro-Russian elements? Time will tell.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
An Islamist Syria will - I presume - be much more hostile to Israel? Tho in the maelstrom of MENA politix who can be sure...
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
Multiplicity of [edit] multiple [immediate] sources means nothing if they are from the same [ultimate] original. E.g. Aviva employees all repeating the same rumour.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
#BREAKING: Chief of the General Security Directorate of the Assad regime, Brigadier Hassam Louka is currently leading a coup detat against Assad in #Damascus, capital city of #Syria. He is leading a group of #Syrian Army soldiers who are trying to capture Assad family.
Nights like tonight remind of the Pet Shop Boys song, "The Dictator Decides"
"Can someone please say the impossible? Crowds should be out on the street I’ve lost any will to threaten and kill I’ll be easy for you to defeat And at any resistance I meet I’ll beat a retreat
I’d rather that you didn’t shoot me but I’d quite understand if you did Watch out for the army The generals’ll go barmy at the thought of a takeover bid"
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
There are more questions than answers as someone once said.
Could be the convulsions of a dying regime? Perhaps factional fighting between pro-Iranian and pro-Russian elements? Time will tell.
Meanwhile in good news for Zelensky at least and indeed for Assad Russia bombers have now had to be sent by Putin to Syria and have begun airstrikes on rebel positions in Aleppo
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
Multiplicity of [edit] multiple [immediate] sources means nothing if they are from the same [ultimate] original. E.g. Aviva employees all repeating the same rumour.
True but the claim about the metadata of the photo she submitted is highly credible and specific and sounds more like it comes from a police source.
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
This morning I received my first speeding fine in 20 years for doing 24 mph in a 20 mph zone in Kew at 10:20 on a Sunday morning. I'm normally careful. I just can't remember this event. I'll just pay up or agree to be re-educated.
Getting a fine for doing 24mph in a 20mph zone seems absurd. Gouging
Also one often HAS to speed, briefly, in a big city like London - to avoid accidents. A wobbly bicyclist, a dog running into the road, there are many times the best thing you can do is press the pedal and get past quickly
I'm disagreeing on that one, having lived in Central / Outer London for nearly a decade.
Speeding to get past is a bad option in general. it's a better option to wait until it is safe to proceed, or say overtake, then do so. AIUI it's a basic never to drive, especially speed, into a recognised hazard. Stopped vehicles cause no hazard whilst the situation resolves.
In this day and age, there's a fair possibility that you could get an Operation SNAP report from a dash cammer or cycle cammer. If trend continues the Met will be receiving 100k+ reports in 2024/25, then 10-11k per month the next year.
You'd have to be mad to introduce more kinetic energy and longer stopping distances to a situation involving a vulnerable road user. Silly behaviour that could land you in jail.
What are you talking about. There are loads of occasions when speeding is the only option
1. Being surrounded by a bunch of cyclists and some of them are not in control and look like they might fall under your car if you all continue at the same speed. What do you do, let them fall under your car and die? You can't stop dead because vehicles or cyclists behind you will collide with you
The only option is to accelerate away, breaking the speed limit - esp easy in London where it is 20mph
2. You see a car pulling out of a side road and the driver's not looking properly, she's on the phone, whatever; if you continue at the same speed you will crash into her. Again slowing suddenly is too dangerous for cars behind. But the road ahead is clear: ergo, the best thing is to floor the pedal and avoid the crash
I can think of half a dozen similar scenarios where speeding is the safest alternative. Indeed it is one of the reasons you are allowed to challenge a speeding ticket: if staying in the limit means a likely accident
The problem is the tickets arrive weeks or months after the event by which time you've entirely forgotten this one moment and you have no way of proving it, anyway
It won’t be long before AI surveillance will be able spot the pattern that you’re always being surrounded by cyclists and oncoming drivers on their phones, anyhow.
#BREAKING: Chief of the General Security Directorate of the Assad regime, Brigadier Hassam Louka is currently leading a coup detat against Assad in #Damascus, capital city of #Syria. He is leading a group of #Syrian Army soldiers who are trying to capture Assad family.
Is it bad that I really enjoy a good coup on TwiX? You can watch it unfold in real time, like a good rugby international
Regime change (other than by election) has its excitements and drama. Imagine how 1989 in Eastern Europe would have played out in an era of TwiX and other social media?
What about Greece in 1967 and the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal? Had we had social media then....
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
An Islamist Syria will - I presume - be much more hostile to Israel? Tho in the maelstrom of MENA politix who can be sure...
Non Islamic Syria has been pretty hostile you Israel. After all they're very close allies of Hezbollah.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
Multiplicity of [edit] multiple [immediate] sources means nothing if they are from the same [ultimate] original. E.g. Aviva employees all repeating the same rumour.
True but the claim about the metadata of the photo she submitted is highly credible and specific and sounds more like it comes from a police source.
She pleaded guilty, and it is a spent conviction. There is no allegation that she has reoffended, so like McMurdock with his assault should be left in the past.
Haigh is a good communicator and an effective minister. The rail portfolio is one of the few areas of government that has escaped numbing sloth.
#BREAKING: Chief of the General Security Directorate of the Assad regime, Brigadier Hassam Louka is currently leading a coup detat against Assad in #Damascus, capital city of #Syria. He is leading a group of #Syrian Army soldiers who are trying to capture Assad family.
Is it bad that I really enjoy a good coup on TwiX? You can watch it unfold in real time, like a good rugby international
Regime change (other than by election) has its excitements and drama. Imagine how 1989 in Eastern Europe would have played out in an era of TwiX and other social media?
What about Greece in 1967 and the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal? Had we had social media then....
Would Nicolae Ceaușescu have been so blind-sided by the crowd's reaction if he and his goons had been following social media?
An estimate of 50 seats for FF and 38 seats for FG - a bare majority for the two parties together, but is the difference large enough for FF to insist that they keep the taoiseach instead of rotating?
Though compared to 38 seats for FF and 35 for FG in 2020 that is actually a swing towards the governing main 2 parties. It is the minor Green party in the government that has taken the hit and seen the losses
Jason Brodsky @JasonMBrodsky · 14s I'm skeptical of this video. People walking the streets of Damascus as if nothing is wrong while there is all this gunfire in the background? Something seems off here with this video.
He makes a decent point. The gunfire is scary and deafening, but people are casually strolling around night-time Damascus?!
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
An Islamist Syria will - I presume - be much more hostile to Israel? Tho in the maelstrom of MENA politix who can be sure...
Non Islamic Syria has been pretty hostile you Israel. After all they're very close allies of Hezbollah.
I suspect any new government would be very busy with internal affairs for some years and not particularly involved in foreign entanglements.
Bit of a shocker for Mary Lou in Dublin Central. She topped the poll and was elected on the first count in 2020, but comes in not far ahead of dimples Pascal this time.
EDIT: Looks like Gerry "The Monk" Hutch has split the "political wing of armed drug gangs" vote. LOL
Speaking of parking fine anecdotes, my month in France in July has now produced no less than FIVE traffic offences, slowly arriving through my front door in London
Three speeding fines, one maneuvering fine, one parking fine
Thing is, I am a fairly careful driver these days. I rarely speed. I was especially careful because half of that month I was ferrying my older daughter around
The fines were for things like "driving at 88kph in an 80kph temporary zone". The parking fine was an insane €135 for "parking in a disabled bay" - which I did, on a deserted Sunday, in a remote village in Provence, for about 40 minutes, with not a soul to be seen in the burning heat
From this I have deduced:
1. The French have speed cameras everywhere, it's worse than the UK 2. The French state desperately needs income 3. It will be a while before I willingly drive in France again
Why on earth park in a disabled bay in the first place? If it was deserted why not park somewhere else? The disabled bays are often designed to be wider or closer to amenities. Why is it alright to take it when a disabled driver might turn up.
Christ, PB and its lack of imagination
This is why I parked in a disabled bay. I was driving along a very long, one way, uphill road in the Provencal hills. Very narrow. Nowhere to turn. I then encountered a bunch of tree surgeons who were blocking the road with their equipment, meaning I couldn't get past. But nor could I reverse 3km downhill, not safely, and - as I say - there was nowhere to turn.The tree surgeons were, also, nowhere to be found
However about 100m before the blockage was just one parking bay. Disabled. I put my car there as it seemed the safest option while I went off to find out what was going on. Turned out the tree surgeons were having a pastis in the village square further ahead, they eventually sauntered down and unblocked the road, allowing me to proceed
But some officious twat decided to ticket me anyway, even though I had surely chosen the safest of several bad options
Well that lacks total credibility to defend the indefensible. If the road was blocked why not get out there to find them and if there was a bay and the width of a car to reverse 100m to it you could have turned using the road and the extra width offered by the bay. Sounds like a cock and ball story to me.
It was a ONE WAY ROAD
So why not leave it at the blockage
Because what if I went off to find the tree surgeons, couldn't find them, but in the meantime they came back and buggered off? That would leave my car blocking an entire road, whereas by putting it in the disabled bay I at least left the road open to others, should it becone unblocked during my investigations
Are you a moron?
I don't believe you. You are trying to defend the indefensible. Your story changes. One minute you are in a village, next minute you are on a 3 km single lane hill. Which is it?
lol. Here is a picture of a road in Oppede le vieux. This might even be the road I was on. It was very like this
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
There are more questions than answers as someone once said.
Could be the convulsions of a dying regime? Perhaps factional fighting between pro-Iranian and pro-Russian elements? Time will tell.
Meanwhile in good news for Zelensky at least and indeed for Assad Russia bombers have now had to be sent by Putin to Syria and have begun airstrikes on rebel positions in Aleppo
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
Multiplicity of [edit] multiple [immediate] sources means nothing if they are from the same [ultimate] original. E.g. Aviva employees all repeating the same rumour.
True but the claim about the metadata of the photo she submitted is highly credible and specific and sounds more like it comes from a police source.
She pleaded guilty, and it is a spent conviction. There is no allegation that she has reoffended, so like McMurdock with his assault should be left in the past.
Haigh is a good communicator and an effective minister. The rail portfolio is one of the few areas of government that has escaped numbing sloth.
Have to say for a coup I don't see much signs of panic or fear among the people or the traffic. No actual pictures of tanks or soldiers moving - just sounds of gunfire.
May be something - may be nothing.
It's definitely something. Far too many reports of major gunfire in Damascus PLUS all the rapid developments elsewhere in the country
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Rather than Iran, look to Turkey as the beneficiary of change...
Officers investigating Louise Haigh's "stolen" phone believed a photo she submitted of the handset had been taken after the alleged theft, Sky News has been told.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
The only claim in their report that doesn't have multiple sources is that the phone was used to phone her mum shortly after it was reported stolen.
Multiplicity of [edit] multiple [immediate] sources means nothing if they are from the same [ultimate] original. E.g. Aviva employees all repeating the same rumour.
True but the claim about the metadata of the photo she submitted is highly credible and specific and sounds more like it comes from a police source.
I'd want to know if they were IT specialists. And whether the metadata referred to the original photo or later file copying.
Also - doesn't show *who* was doing the phoning. Coiulkd be a thief with a button on fast dial, for instance.
Comments
I might even fly out there tomorrow and take some photos to show you the entire set up, with a letter from the maire and les gendarmes confirming that this is a very narrow uphill one way road (which are not unknown in the Luberon) often hedged in by limestone walls (which makes them beautiful, but a bugger to negotiate if there are any issues)
This may well be the stupidest argument in the history of PB, a classic of its kind. I hope it rumbles on for years
A more recent hit to the German economy was absorbing the poorer East Germany.
Now imagine driving along and finding it is blocked and you’re stuck and you can’t reverse back down 3km and and even if you could do a 17 point turn the road is one way
But there is just one place you can leave the car without blocking the road YOURSELF and it is a disabled bay
Cate Blanchett is concerned about the impact of AI on 'ordinary people'.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clygy87nleqo
I think Gwyneth Paltrow needs to be more worried, because AIs are less likely to be Goops than her existing customers.
I'm off to the shops
That's probably where you went wrong.
We need to send @Leon up on a mountain bike (or down on a skateboard) Bamford Clough in the Peak District.
Two sources said after looking at metadata attached to the photo - information that often details when photos were captured - officers believed it had been taken after the date at which Ms Haigh alleged the phone had been stolen.
Sources close to Ms Haigh did not respond when approached about the allegation.
https://news.sky.com/story/louise-haighs-photo-of-stolen-phone-taken-after-alleged-theft-13263796
Jennifer MacNeill [FG] is the first person elected to the Dáil.
Jenny surpassed the quota by 500 votes within the Dún Laoghaire constituency.
Gerry "The Monk" is performing well in Dublin Central
Looks beautiful, thanks for the tip Leon!
Seat change might be that a second FG TD is elected to replace the Green TD.
They'll have to be on the road and pretend to be animals...
*whistles softly and puts hands in pockets*
It is so sad. Aleppo, before the war, was one of the great antique cities of the Levant. A perfectly preserved medieval souk, amongst much else
But, yes, the civil war has continued for more than 13 years now. Immense destruction.
Louise Haigh fortunate there is no basis for a recall petition.
Yet.
It was one of the most spellbinding monuments of antiquity. This jewel of a city in the middle of the desert. You used to be able to stay in a hotel inside the ruinations, so at night you would walk out into the temples and shrines and arcades, under the desert stars
Ach, so sad
Some tree surgeons have blocked the road into Homs so they’ve had to park up in a local disabled bay.
Patrick O'Donovan [FG] has been elected from Limerick County after the first count. He defeated the quota by 200 votes.
Tho I do hope you are lying about the friends gathered around the laptop "in hysterics", because that would be downright weird, and tinged with the tragedy of bathos
Another day when I'm glad I'm not a professional punter - time to give backing horses a break for a while.
Elsewhere, the Irish election is going to be a nail-biter or a cliffhanger depending on whether you bite your nails or hang off cliffs. Tentaive thought is FF and FG will be close enough to the 88 seat number to form a Government with perhaps Social Democrat support (?). Long way to go.
Syria - calling it a "mess" is understatement par excellence but for all taking Aleppo and even Homs would be an achievement for the "opposition", the two real prizes would be Damascus to the south and Tartus to the west. When all this happened before, I thought the opposition needed to do a deal with the Russians to ensure the latter would remain with access to Tartus and to not do so only strengthened the alliance between Moscow and Assad.
That was before Russian commitments elesewhere and it remains to be seen what they would do IF the opposition started to seriously threaten Damascus but that's a way off. Aleppo to Homs is about 120 miles, Homs to Damascus about another 100.
Charles Lister
@Charles_Lister
·
1m
The situation in #Syria is developing rapidly.
Widespread reports (& footage) of clashes in central #Damascus, including outside the Four Seasons, amid claims of a coup.
Former armed opposition factions in the south are engaging regime forces in clashes too.
https://x.com/MOSSADil/status/1862917395238605084
Rebels have reportedly captured 5 military aircraft from Russia at the Kuweires base which are all operational.
This feels like rapid regime collapse
https://x.com/GordoCDA/status/1862918123705213114
There are other reports that the coup is led by Assad's brother, which makes it even more confusing…
May be something - may be nothing.
But cui bono? Who is fighting who? Who benefits if Assad falls? Where does Iran stand? And why is Assad's brother allegedly leading the rebels?!
Read the full article.
Funny that Rigby and Coates could not show this zeal in cases of Shapps multiple ID, Hunt forgetting to declare properties to HMRC, Badenochs website hacking, Sunak dodgy business deals with wife, Boris, well there is a massive book there.
They have got their pound of flesh, may be time to explore Kemis Web hacking
https://x.com/gorillaosint/status/1862607431978684555
On the other hand quite a young demographic and several million Volks-Deutch expelled from Poland, Czechoslovakia etc, and also a well educated and technically skilled population.
Until 1948 things were extremely hard, but the currency reform of 1948 creating the Deutschmark, and the abolition of price controls under Adenauer spurred off a period of rapid economic growth.
Assad is an evil bastard, but this is potentially bad news
SKS made it clear in the run up to the election that the country needed to return to economic growth in order to spend money on services. He has now reversed that, and declares that we must splurge on services to see growth. That's nonsense and precisely no country has ever seen that trajectory. He has now dropped his target of seeing the strongest growth in the G7. He's an economy destroyer.
https://x.com/RealCanadianLib/status/1862920397064220961
Could be the convulsions of a dying regime? Perhaps factional fighting between pro-Iranian and pro-Russian elements? Time will tell.
#BREAKING: Chief of the General Security Directorate of the Assad regime, Brigadier Hassam Louka is currently leading a coup detat against Assad in #Damascus, capital city of #Syria. He is leading a group of #Syrian Army soldiers who are trying to capture Assad family.
https://x.com/BabakTaghvaee1/status/1862922015348310103
Is it bad that I really enjoy a good coup on TwiX? You can watch it unfold in real time, like a top tier rugby international
"Can someone please say the impossible?
Crowds should be out on the street
I’ve lost any will
to threaten and kill
I’ll be easy for you to defeat
And at any resistance I meet
I’ll beat a retreat
I’d rather that you didn’t shoot me
but I’d quite understand if you did
Watch out for the army
The generals’ll go barmy
at the thought of a takeover bid"
https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/lyrics/the-dictator-decides
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy5l50y76k3t
What about Greece in 1967 and the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal? Had we had social media then....
If Assad meets a grisly end, Putin might start feeling a little nervous, which is no bad thing
https://time.com/5885650/erdogans-ottoman-worry-world/
Haigh is a good communicator and an effective minister. The rail portfolio is one of the few areas of government that has escaped numbing sloth.
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
·
14s
I'm skeptical of this video. People walking the streets of Damascus as if nothing is wrong while there is all this gunfire in the background? Something seems off here with this video.
He makes a decent point. The gunfire is scary and deafening, but people are casually strolling around night-time Damascus?!
EDIT: Looks like Gerry "The Monk" Hutch has split the "political wing of armed drug gangs" vote. LOL
Also - doesn't show *who* was doing the phoning. Coiulkd be a thief with a button on fast dial, for instance.
More data needed ...