Apart from the fact is is truly excellent coffee, I was entertained by the fact that I was in another shop earlier that sells 'reproduction' fake coffee cans
Or you can buy the real thing, with coffee in it...
We are a tea and coffee household. Two staples of civil society.
But these figures are remarkable. People actually buy instant coffee? Nearly a billion pounds a year? What on earth do they do with it?
And SFAICS the average household will spend only about £10 per entire year on ground/bean coffee.
The sort of figures you would expect in the dark ages or rural Sumerian society around 3000BCE.
The cheap quick-brewing black tea favoured by the Brits and Irish is not much higher, objectively, on the tea quality scale than instant coffee is on the coffee quality scale.
Subjectively, cheap tea is much more acceptable than instant coffee.
I remember when a friend started at uni and bought a huge catering pack of the cheapest instant coffee he could find, to last him all term.
It was amazing how many virulent brown flushes it took to get rid of the lot down the bog, a few days later.
Personally I'm not very keen on coffee, but I prefer instant, because it produces the desired (meh) result faster. Mainly, though, I can't stand people who think that their taste is somehow superior. Chacun a son gout...
True.
I would, however, *suggest* that you try a mocha pot for the stove. Get one in stainless steel - they last forever. It makes coffee about as fast as you can boil the kettle (well, a little slower). Because you are only boiling exactly the amount of water you need for your coffee, you are saving the planet.
Was it stainless? If so, how did you manage to break it?
It no longer screws together very well to the extent that it now emits boiling hot steam in places where boiling hot steam should not be emitted.
Have you changed the seal? You should do that every few months....
Yes, first thing I did. I grant you, I should probably have done it more than every couple of years...
The problem is that the pot is extremely wobbly even when completely screwed together. I think that - over eight or nine years - that I've managed to mostly strip the thread.
Still it was £30 in 2012, so I reckon I got pretty good value out of it.
I follow the weather, a lot in winter, and Google knows this. I am bombarded with news stories about walls of snow, arctic blasts etc all going to hit the U.K. on X date. Clearly someone is scanning the longer range weather models for the one frame that shows snow and creating yet another story from it. It’s all horseshit and I wish they would stop.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
I follow the weather, a lot in winter, and Google knows this. I am bombarded with news stories about walls of snow, arctic blasts etc all going to hit the U.K. on X date. Clearly someone is scanning the longer range weather models for the one frame that shows snow and creating yet another story from it. It’s all horseshit and I wish they would stop.
I am sure that, as a teenager, I read a dystopian story where the technical aspects of advertising had got so optimised that it was literally impossible to ignore the command to buy Twinkies, or whatever.
Clearly the clickbait mills have got effective enough at optimising stories and headlines that this kind of guff is a better proposition than actually doing proper journalism. Which is pretty depressing. Because, at some level, we can't beat the persuasive technology.
(Oh, and if anyone knows what story I am remembering, or possibly just imagining, I'd love to know.)
I follow the weather, a lot in winter, and Google knows this. I am bombarded with news stories about walls of snow, arctic blasts etc all going to hit the U.K. on X date. Clearly someone is scanning the longer range weather models for the one frame that shows snow and creating yet another story from it. It’s all horseshit and I wish they would stop.
I am sure that, as a teenager, I read a dystopian story where the technical aspects of advertising had got so optimised that it was literally impossible to ignore the command to buy Twinkies, or whatever.
Clearly the clickbait mills have got effective enough at optimising stories and headlines that this kind of guff is a better proposition than actually doing proper journalism. Which is pretty depressing. Because, at some level, we can't beat the persuasive technology.
(Oh, and if anyone knows what story I am remembering, or possibly just imagining, I'd love to know.)
We are a tea and coffee household. Two staples of civil society.
But these figures are remarkable. People actually buy instant coffee? Nearly a billion pounds a year? What on earth do they do with it?
And SFAICS the average household will spend only about £10 per entire year on ground/bean coffee.
The sort of figures you would expect in the dark ages or rural Sumerian society around 3000BCE.
The cheap quick-brewing black tea favoured by the Brits and Irish is not much higher, objectively, on the tea quality scale than instant coffee is on the coffee quality scale.
Subjectively, cheap tea is much more acceptable than instant coffee.
I remember when a friend started at uni and bought a huge catering pack of the cheapest instant coffee he could find, to last him all term.
It was amazing how many virulent brown flushes it took to get rid of the lot down the bog, a few days later.
Personally I'm not very keen on coffee, but I prefer instant, because it produces the desired (meh) result faster. Mainly, though, I can't stand people who think that their taste is somehow superior. Chacun a son gout...
True.
I would, however, *suggest* that you try a mocha pot for the stove. Get one in stainless steel - they last forever. It makes coffee about as fast as you can boil the kettle (well, a little slower). Because you are only boiling exactly the amount of water you need for your coffee, you are saving the planet.
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
I suspect the majority of our utility companies have been doing something similar.
I will also expect them to end up in jail when I hear the judge say 'take them down' after sentencing.
Even then, I'll be wondering where and how those pigs learned to fly.
Humorously, it seems like OpenAI's Sora video generator has been guardrailled by the same twits who did Google's image-generator. I asked it for a video of a white kitten... no go! Across multiple attempts and an hour or two thinking it was just overloaded. Then asked for a video of a silver and grey kitten - no problem! Here you go!
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
The regulators are even more full of shit than the Thames.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Humorously, it seems like OpenAI's Sora video generator has been guardrailled by the same twits who did Google's image-generator. I asked it for a video of a white kitten... no go! Across multiple attempts and an hour or two thinking it was just overloaded. Then asked for a video of a silver and grey kitten - no problem! Here you go!
I remember getting told to check my privilege / stop being racist by google for asking for an image of an alien taking a selfie on the moon....
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
The regulators are even more full of shit than the Thames.
Actually, the level of shit in the Thames has been dropping as the super sewer intercepts more and more drains.
Been noticeable at the rowing club - we test the water quality on a regular basis.
If you look directly at a faint light in the night sky it will appear darker than if you glimpse it at the edge of your vision. It’s not impossible that some people are seeing faint lights at the edge of the sight, turning their heads to look directly and the ‘drone’ appears to go dark. This is happening in a flap situation where suddenly lots of people are out and about looking at stuff in the night sky and convincing themselves that everyday things are extraordinary.
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
The regulators are even more full of shit than the Thames.
Actually, the level of shit in the Thames has been dropping as the super sewer intercepts more and more drains.
Been noticeable at the rowing club - we test the water quality on a regular basis.
Well, that just proves my point.
There's less shit in the Thames than in the regulator.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
It's occurred to me to start putting together a list of present and past c-suite execs (aka looters) from UK water companies. These people deserve being pulled out of anonymity to see how much they extracted whilst in charge.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
If you look directly at a faint light in the night sky it will appear darker than if you glimpse it at the edge of your vision. It’s not impossible that some people are seeing faint lights at the edge of the sight, turning their heads to look directly and the ‘drone’ appears to go dark. This is happening in a flap situation where suddenly lots of people are out and about looking at stuff in the night sky and convincing themselves that everyday things are extraordinary.
As ever in these flaps.
No ; you need to watch the interview, as the story's moved on a little bit now, since the last week.
21 mayors wouldn't have written a letter to the state governor about that, and nor would the White House and FBI be speaking to him all day about
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
My first though on hearing the story was what the hell is the poinf of Ofwat if such a thing is possible? If Ofwat didn't know they want sacking, and if Ofwat did know and did nothing they want sacking.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
If you look directly at a faint light in the night sky it will appear darker than if you glimpse it at the edge of your vision. It’s not impossible that some people are seeing faint lights at the edge of the sight, turning their heads to look directly and the ‘drone’ appears to go dark. This is happening in a flap situation where suddenly lots of people are out and about looking at stuff in the night sky and convincing themselves that everyday things are extraordinary.
As ever in these flaps.
No ; you need to watch the interview, as the story's moved on a little bit now, since the last week.
21 mayors wouldn't have written a letter to the state governor about that, and nor would the White House and FBI be speaking to him all day about
Just did. Nothing in there to back up the ‘goes dark’ claim. Acknowledgment that many sightings are obviously planes etc. some bullshit about why here which reminds me of the nullshit about why Warminster.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
No, this is more like when you buy a “smoked salmon sandwich” from Boots at Luton airport coz everywhere else is shut and it turns out to only have 3 sq cm of smoked salmon. And the bread is stale. And the butter tastes off. It’s inedible and maybe poisonous
You were desperate and hungry and had no choice - that was the vote for Starmer. No enthusiasm but the vague hope it would be tolerable. You’re really not expecting much. It’s a sandwich from boots
But then it turns out that the sandwich still manages to be far worse than your already low expectations
If you look directly at a faint light in the night sky it will appear darker than if you glimpse it at the edge of your vision. It’s not impossible that some people are seeing faint lights at the edge of the sight, turning their heads to look directly and the ‘drone’ appears to go dark. This is happening in a flap situation where suddenly lots of people are out and about looking at stuff in the night sky and convincing themselves that everyday things are extraordinary.
As ever in these flaps.
No ; you need to watch the interview, as the story's moved on a little bit now, since the last week.
21 mayors wouldn't have written a letter to the state governor about that, and nor would the White House and FBI be speaking to him all day about
Just did. Nothing in there to back up the ‘goes dark’ claim. Acknowledgment that many sightings are obviously planes etc. some bullshit about why here which reminds me of the nullshit about why Warminster.
He's not a random citizen. If he makes that claim and says he's been "talking to the White House all day about it" yesterday, than governmental credibility is on the line if it's nof supported by evidence.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
Ta.
Now all we need is a way to get fresh milk for tea in hotel rooms. With coffee, the UHT shite plus a couple of sugars is at least reminiscent of Spain, but for tea there is no remedy other than to have it black.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And what precisely is he doing?
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
The signs on housing (your big one) are moderately positive, aren't they? That's just one example. And some good stuff coming on health. And increasing investment in places. And landing a big borrowing budget without spooking the markets. And ... well how long have you got.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
Never travel without a portable cone and filter papers; this doubles as a handy contraceptive device for your pet elephant.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
Feel free to have the social charm of a tapeworm's eggshell gland. Still a gross waste for those of us who don't spend much time in hotel rooms.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
No, this is more like when you buy a “smoked salmon sandwich” from Boots at Luton airport coz everywhere else is shut and it turns out to only have 3 sq cm of smoked salmon. And the bread is stale. And the butter tastes off. It’s inedible and maybe poisonous
You were desperate and hungry and had no choice - that was the vote for Starmer. No enthusiasm but the vague hope it would be tolerable. You’re really not expecting much. It’s a sandwich from boots
But then it turns out that the sandwich still manages to be far worse than your already low expectations
I think it's more like when Dylan went electric than that. Nice try though. Not everyone is good at analogies.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
Never travel without a portable cone and filter papers; this doubles as a handy contraceptive device for your pet elephant.
Yes. And an air humidifier. Which can be used as a barrier against kidnap in small hotels by wedging the door shut
Also a bag of condiments: mine now consists of:
Small bottle of sriracha, small bottle of kikkoman’s soy; small grinder full of kampot black pepper, ditto full of halen mon de salt; a bottle of normal Tabasco and a bottle of habanero Tabasco
Colombian food is quite stodgy and bland and I have saved several meals this last week with these. Also arepas - corn patties served for breakfast with eggs - are actually quite yummy if doused in habanero Tabasco
And just when I thought you’d come back to the rational world view again…
This is the media and political world, rather than the irrational world.
A governor talking to White House, and Homeland Security, FBi agencies about something they've confirmed, but can't identify the source of yet.
Its clickbait shite.
Evidence ? That looks increasingly unlikely.
Very little credible evidence coming though is there? Can you point me to some decent video of these alleged drones?
As mentioned, some concrete evidence must be there for so many officials to be taking them seriously.
There's now been a police and local authority press conferences, FAA flight restrictions, and invocations by the governors of concern from the FBI, the Department ofnd Security, the Pentagon, and even the White House. It might just be the Chinese, but somethings up.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
It's occurred to me to start putting together a list of present and past c-suite execs (aka looters) from UK water companies. These people deserve being pulled out of anonymity to see how much they extracted whilst in charge.
I'm not advocating assassination obvs...
Ceremonial rogering with a narwhal horn seems reasonable and proportionate.
And just when I thought you’d come back to the rational world view again…
This is the media and political world, rather than the irrational world.
A governor talking to White House, and Homeland Security, FBi agencies about something they've confirmed, but can't identify the source of yet.
Its clickbait shite.
Evidence ? That looks increasingly unlikely.
Very little credible evidence coming though is there? Can you point me to some decent video of these alleged drones?
As mentioned, some concrete evidence must be there for so many officials to be taking them seriously.
There's now been a police and local authority press conferences, FAA flight restrictions, and invocations by the governors of concern from the FBI, the Department ofnd Security, the Pentagon, and even the White House. It might just be the Chinese, but somethings up.
Trouble is people have said the same (your first sentence, for clarity) about the Senate UAP stuff, and that’s been a big heap of nothing so far too.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And what precisely is he doing?
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
The signs on housing (your big one) are moderately positive, aren't they? That's just one example. And some good stuff coming on health. And increasing investment in places. And landing a big borrowing budget without spooking the markets. And ... well how long have you got.
What signs on housing?
So far we've had nothing but words, its been months now since they were elected. Action should have been taken immediately to liberate planning to enable new house builds to happen but so far there's just warm words and then rinse and repeat.
If there's actual, serious, planning reform then I'll be the first to say well done. But warm words alone don't count for jack.
As for the rest of what you said, nothing but higher spending. That's nothing to be proud of.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
Are they the same tho? Hard to tell. It says you still need a cafetière?
The joy of the Japanese bags - as I’ve said - is that you literally only need the sachet. That’s it. It’s so simple and clever. Then you need a cup and hot water
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
I'm not privy but I'd say the main 3 things are better NHS, more houses, Ed Miliband.
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
The regulators are even more full of shit than the Thames.
To simplify for the politicians.
A monopoly utility gets to charge what it wants (subject to a regulator).
There is no good way for such a monopoly to be foreign owned. It will either be under-regulated, and excessive dividends paid overseas, with no benefit to the UK economy (Macquarie). Or it will be over regulated and therefore underfunded, so the assets deteriorate (that can also be the case I'df the owner is paying out dividends and underinvesting).
The incentives are all perverse.
The details of how they fiddle the books are a second order issue.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
Are they the same tho? Hard to tell. It says you still need a cafetière?
The joy of the Japanese bags - as I’ve said - is that you literally only need the sachet. That’s it. It’s so simple and clever. Then you need a cup and hot water
And just when I thought you’d come back to the rational world view again…
This is the media and political world, rather than the irrational world.
A governor talking to White House, and Homeland Security, FBi agencies about something they've confirmed, but can't identify the source of yet.
Its clickbait shite.
Evidence ? That looks increasingly unlikely.
Very little credible evidence coming though is there? Can you point me to some decent video of these alleged drones?
As mentioned, some concrete evidence must be there for so many officials to be taking them seriously.
There's now been a police and local authority press conferences, FAA flight restrictions, and invocations by the governors of concern from the FBI, the Department ofnd Security, the Pentagon, and even the White House. It might just be the Chinese, but somethings up.
Trouble is people have said the same (your first sentence, for clarity) about the Senate UAP stuff, and that’s been a big heap of nothing so far too.
That was Senators. This is several arms of governments, so it's not really about what evidence I have, but what they have.
The Severn Trent scam. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o ...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2. Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn. No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU. Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn. But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
Shades of Enron.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
And the regulator was doing what, while this was going on?
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
It's occurred to me to start putting together a list of present and past c-suite execs (aka looters) from UK water companies. These people deserve being pulled out of anonymity to see how much they extracted whilst in charge.
I'm not advocating assassination obvs...
Ceremonial rogering with a narwhal horn seems reasonable and proportionate.
Let us please start with the directors of the Post Office for the past 20 years. Nobody's asking for assassination, but the narwhal horn is certainly an idea.
And just when I thought you’d come back to the rational world view again…
This is the media and political world, rather than the irrational world.
A governor talking to White House, and Homeland Security, FBi agencies about something they've confirmed, but can't identify the source of yet.
Its clickbait shite.
Evidence ? That looks increasingly unlikely.
Very little credible evidence coming though is there? Can you point me to some decent video of these alleged drones?
As mentioned, some concrete evidence must be there for so many officials to be taking them seriously.
There's now been a police and local authority press conferences, FAA flight restrictions, and invocations by the governors of concern from the FBI, the Department ofnd Security, the Pentagon, and even the White House. It might just be the Chinese, but somethings up.
Trouble is people have said the same (your first sentence, for clarity) about the Senate UAP stuff, and that’s been a big heap of nothing so far too.
That was Senators. This is several arms of governments, so it's not really about what evidence I have, but what they have.
Which will be basically nothing. We come at this with very different world views, I think.
Starmer's problem is that his *best* case scenario is some years into his term people grudgingly accept they are boringly competent. Between now and that hypothetical point, if it ever arrives, it's all bad.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
I'm not privy but I'd say the main 3 things are better NHS, more houses, Ed Miliband.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
Never travel without a portable cone and filter papers; this doubles as a handy contraceptive device for your pet elephant.
Yes. And an air humidifier. Which can be used as a barrier against kidnap in small hotels by wedging the door shut
Also a bag of condiments: mine now consists of:
Small bottle of sriracha, small bottle of kikkoman’s soy; small grinder full of kampot black pepper, ditto full of halen mon de salt; a bottle of normal Tabasco and a bottle of habanero Tabasco
Colombian food is quite stodgy and bland and I have saved several meals this last week with these. Also arepas - corn patties served for breakfast with eggs - are actually quite yummy if doused in habanero Tabasco
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
Are they the same tho? Hard to tell. It says you still need a cafetière?
The joy of the Japanese bags - as I’ve said - is that you literally only need the sachet. That’s it. It’s so simple and clever. Then you need a cup and hot water
Since I have nothing better to use my quota for:
That obscure creature ought to have either 6 legs or 8.
Kudos to Israel, sounds like a very smart move that will hopefully lead to improved security for them there. 👍
You approve of taking advantage of instability in a neighbouring country to seize strategic territory? How about Putin and Crimea?
I approve of taking advantage of instability in neighbouring enemy countries you are at war with, that attacked you first, yes.
Ukraine was a peaceful country that war viciously attacked by Putin unprovoked.
Syria is a vicious dictatorship that has been at war with Israel for 76 years and counting since they tried to murder Israel at birth and have never sought nor got a peace agreement to end the war.
The second Syria wants to end the war peacefully then great, but until then yes Israel is well within its rights to seize land from states it is quite literally at war with.
Speaking of coffee preparations, in Japan almost every hotel has these little paper sachets of ground coffee which you rip open and then balance over a cup with clever sticky out cardboard bits
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Indeed. Very popular in Taiwan too.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant .
What's the point? Small plastic Melitta filter support, filter paper, spoonful of ground coffee. Filter paper biodegrades and the filter support is reuseable with a rinse.
Because these are portable you stupid Scottish sheep’s uterus. And literally all you need is the sachet, a cup and a source of hot water. Nothing else. And it all goes in the bin and it’s entirely biodegradable
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
Never travel without a portable cone and filter papers; this doubles as a handy contraceptive device for your pet elephant.
Yes. And an air humidifier. Which can be used as a barrier against kidnap in small hotels by wedging the door shut
Also a bag of condiments: mine now consists of:
Small bottle of sriracha, small bottle of kikkoman’s soy; small grinder full of kampot black pepper, ditto full of halen mon de salt; a bottle of normal Tabasco and a bottle of habanero Tabasco
Colombian food is quite stodgy and bland and I have saved several meals this last week with these. Also arepas - corn patties served for breakfast with eggs - are actually quite yummy if doused in habanero Tabasco
Graham Greene meets Somerset Maugham.
It was a moment of great delight when I discovered that Lord Byron did exactly the same thing. Whenever he was travelling he would bring three or four bottles of condiments from london - anchovy sauce, gentleman’s sauce, god knows what it was - but he was very keen on using them to save terrible foreign food and when he ran out he would beg friends, coming from the Smoke, to bring fresh supplies
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
I'm not privy but I'd say the main 3 things are better NHS, more houses, Ed Miliband.
Ed Miliband spaffed an entire black hole's worth of money on his carbon capture plan.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And what precisely is he doing?
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
The signs on housing (your big one) are moderately positive, aren't they? That's just one example. And some good stuff coming on health. And increasing investment in places. And landing a big borrowing budget without spooking the markets. And ... well how long have you got.
Politically*, housing is a massive hole that Labour should avoid stumbling into. That article TSE posted yesterday had it way down the list of priorities - renewables were 50% higher, which is astonishing. And you have massive scope for pissing people off by murdering a badger, or not building enough primary schools to cope with the extra people.
It's all about the NHS. There are some positive noises about focusing on primary care and public health, but 1) it's not enough and 2) the gains from that almost certainly won't materialise within 5 years. Depressingly, the politically smart thing to do is keep chucking money at hospitals.
The only other option was a punted mega-budget that completely upends the entire fiscal environment in the UK (AKA the collective wisdom of PBers in one document). But that was never going to happen.
*Before people go mad, my personal priorities are almost the inverse of that polling.
Starmer's problem is that his *best* case scenario is some years into his term people grudgingly accept they are boringly competent. Between now and that hypothetical point, if it ever arrives, it's all bad.
Yes quite. His big ambition now is to “improve average income over the five years of the government” (I can’t recall the exact phrasing) - so they can claim success if on average we are all earning £2 more (and the country is swamped with another 5m migrants)
He’s already abandoned his pledge to be the “fastest growing economy in the G7” - because they know they can’t do it. They don’t know what to do, they are panicked, but they have already accepted they are likely to be quite a shit government delivering - at best - tiny incremental improvements and probably failing in other areas
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And what precisely is he doing?
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
The signs on housing (your big one) are moderately positive, aren't they? That's just one example. And some good stuff coming on health. And increasing investment in places. And landing a big borrowing budget without spooking the markets. And ... well how long have you got.
Politically*, housing is a massive hole that Labour should avoid stumbling into. That article TSE posted yesterday had it way down the list of priorities - renewables were 50% higher, which is astonishing. And you have massive scope for pissing people off by murdering a badger, or not building enough primary schools to cope with the extra people.
It's all about the NHS. There are some positive noises about focusing on primary care and public health, but 1) it's not enough and 2) the gains from that almost certainly won't materialise within 5 years. Depressingly, the politically smart thing to do is keep chucking money at hospitals.
The only other option was a punted mega-budget that completely upends the entire fiscal enviroment in the UK (AKA the collective wisdom of PBers in one document). But that was never going to happen.
*Before people go mad, my personal priorities are almost the inverse of that polling.
Im mad at the everyday NIMBY public for housing being such a low priority, because its true it is. So many excuses and 'in the right place' bullshit that its practically politically toxic.
Politicians know its a problem and make baby steps, but most of the time get scared and have to pretend the public are not just selfish short sighted idiots on this topic.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
And what precisely is he doing?
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
The signs on housing (your big one) are moderately positive, aren't they? That's just one example. And some good stuff coming on health. And increasing investment in places. And landing a big borrowing budget without spooking the markets. And ... well how long have you got.
Politically*, housing is a massive hole that Labour should avoid stumbling into. That article TSE posted yesterday had it way down the list of priorities - renewables were 50% higher, which is astonishing. And you have massive scope for pissing people off by murdering a badger, or not building enough primary schools to cope with the extra people.
It's all about the NHS. There are some positive noises about focusing on primary care and public health, but 1) it's not enough and 2) the gains from that almost certainly won't materialise within 5 years. Depressingly, the politically smart thing to do is keep chucking money at hospitals.
The only other option was a punted mega-budget that completely upends the entire fiscal environment in the UK (AKA the collective wisdom of PBers in one document). But that was never going to happen.
*Before people go mad, my personal priorities are almost the inverse of that polling.
Unsurprisingly I could not disagree with you more.
There are few things that affect households more than their household finances and having a household of your own is the best way to improve that.
The housing theory of everything is very true, most of the flaws in our society stem to the broken housing market and while the NHS is a fiscal black hole that needs every more money - fixing housing would actually save money not cost money.
Fix housing and there won't be a need to pay Landlords Benefit anymore. Fix housing and people won't need inflationary pay rises just to keep heads above water. Fix housing and the state can get taxes on extra economic activity.
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
I'm not privy but I'd say the main 3 things are better NHS, more houses, Ed Miliband.
Ed Miliband spaffed an entire black hole's worth of money on his carbon capture plan.
What makes you a better judge than Ed Miliband on what to invest in?
Does nobody feel the disappointment with Keir Starmer is mainly because the public have yet to cotton on to what he's doing? I'm straining for a suitable analogy for this but a bit like when Dylan went electric.
Do enlighten us.
Well his ratings cratered at first but he stuck with it and ended up more popular than he'd ever been.
Doesn't tell me what Starmer’s hidden grand plan is....
I'm not privy but I'd say the main 3 things are better NHS, more houses, Ed Miliband.
Ed Miliband spaffed an entire black hole's worth of money on his carbon capture plan.
What makes you a better judge than Ed Miliband on what to invest in?
Comments
https://www.espresso-international.co.uk/passalacqua-espresso-harem-250g-moka-ground-coffee
Apart from the fact is is truly excellent coffee, I was entertained by the fact that I was in another shop earlier that sells 'reproduction' fake coffee cans
Or you can buy the real thing, with coffee in it...
Already empirically demonstrated that it would outlast her.
The problem is that the pot is extremely wobbly even when completely screwed together. I think that - over eight or nine years - that I've managed to mostly strip the thread.
Still it was £30 in 2012, so I reckon I got pretty good value out of it.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/09/inside-sednaya-torture-prison-syria-assad
https://x.com/_katiemerkle/status/1866215121913065730
I know this family. They own multiple business in the state - golf club, hotel, radio station, etc. His brother Nino is a Maryland delegate (R)
Makes the NHS look ... almost mediocre.
Judy Faulkner is the CEO of epic.
Epic is a monopoly that owns over 70% of American’s health records...
https://x.com/txsalth2o/status/1865717009171849590
A triumph of industry lobbying.
We really, really need to avoid US commercial involvement in organisation of NHS data.
You then pour very hot water slowly through the coffee and into the cup, takes about 2 minutes and makes a serviceable cup of ground coffee. Miles better than instant
I’ve never seen it before. It’s hardly miraculous technology; just clever. Why don’t we have them in the west?
Clearly the clickbait mills have got effective enough at optimising stories and headlines that this kind of guff is a better proposition than actually doing proper journalism. Which is pretty depressing. Because, at some level, we can't beat the persuasive technology.
(Oh, and if anyone knows what story I am remembering, or possibly just imagining, I'd love to know.)
NEW: Governor Phil Murphy has spoken with White House officials about the ‘very sophisticated’ drones over New Jersey.
“The minute you get eyes on them, they go dark… This is something we’re taking deadly seriously.”
https://x.com/uapjames/status/1866219449386156330?s=46
https://x.com/UAPJames/status/1866219449386156330
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd75nqwdpj7o
...The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group. Another Severn Trent company called Severn Trent Draycote - which owns the water company - agreed to buy Trimpley for £2.
Trimpley then issued additional shares and Draycote bought them for a staggering £3bn.
No money actually changed hands, however, as Draycote paid Trimpley with a £3bn loan note - effectively an IOU. But, on paper, Trimpley immediately appeared to be worth £3bn because it had the IOU.
Severn Trent Water then acquired 49% of Trimpley - and that investment was valued in the water company's accounts at £1.47bn. A hugely valuable asset appears to have been created for Severn Trent Water out of thin air...
..In the wider group accounts the made-up money is cancelled out by the IOU that Draycote issued, so it is only the balance sheet of the regulated water company, Severn Trent Water, that is inflated...
...Severn Trent Water's 2023/24 accounts - which include the £1.68bn investment - report the company has very healthy retained earnings of £1.84bn.
But the accounts for the wider Severn Trent Group, where all the creative accounting is cancelled out, show retained earnings of just £7.9m...
That's how a regulated monopoly pays dividends when it's not generating real profits.
People should be going to jail if they've pulled this shit.
Amazon has them but, as you would expect, at about three times the price they would be if mass-imported or made here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blend-Coffee-Mellow-Taste-Craftsman/dp/B00UTCV9QS/
UCC is the big brand.
I will also expect them to end up in jail when I hear the judge say 'take them down' after sentencing.
Even then, I'll be wondering where and how those pigs learned to fly.
No, don't tell me. "We noticed but it was outside our remit. Phoning the FSA was impossible, due to the fact that our bonuses were so big for doing such a brilliant job as regulators that we couldn't reach the phones."
“Our individually wrapped coffee bags are perfect for when you want real, fresh coffee without a cafetiere or coffee machine. Simply put the coffee bag in your cup, pour over freshly boiled water and wait for the coffee to brew to perfection within 2-3 minutes. The perfect fusion of flavour and simplicity in a single cup”
https://www.ueshimacoffeecompany.com/products/coffee-bags-house-blend
It’s ridiculous we don’t have them in the UK. And mad that UK/western hotels haven’t caught on
Saves you buying an Nespresso machine for each room. Much nicer than instant
.
Been noticeable at the rowing club - we test the water quality on a regular basis.
This is happening in a flap situation where suddenly lots of people are out and about looking at stuff in the night sky and convincing themselves that everyday things are extraordinary.
As ever in these flaps.
There's less shit in the Thames than in the regulator.
Besides hammering employers with tax rises.
A governor talking to White House, and Homeland Security, FBi agencies about something they've confirmed, but can't identify the source of yet.
It's occurred to me to start putting together a list of present and past c-suite execs (aka looters) from UK water companies. These people deserve being pulled out of anonymity to see how much they extracted whilst in charge.
I'm not advocating assassination obvs...
They’re so handy and tiny im gonna start taking a
dozen on my trips. Always good coffee to hand as long as you can get hot water
21 mayors wouldn't have written a letter to the state governor about that,
and nor would the White House and FBI be speaking to him all day about
He seems to have been cleared to say that at least three or four different parts of government are looking at it, and trying to work out.
That looks increasingly unlikely.
You were desperate and hungry and had no choice - that was the vote for Starmer. No enthusiasm but the vague hope it would be tolerable. You’re really not expecting much. It’s a sandwich from boots
But then it turns out that the sandwich still manages to be far worse than your already low expectations
Now all we need is a way to get fresh milk for tea in hotel rooms. With coffee, the UHT shite plus a couple of sugars is at least reminiscent of Spain, but for tea there is no remedy other than to have it black.
Which again js possible. But we beginning to strain the bounds of plausibility
https://www.cafedumonde.co.uk/shop/coffee/coffee-bags/service-en-chambre-coffee-bag-100/
If they’re good enough for Glenapp Castle they’re good enough for us.
We used to buy Kauai Coffee from Hawaii until the postage costs exceeded the cost of the coffee.
Also a bag of condiments: mine now consists of:
Small bottle of sriracha, small bottle of kikkoman’s soy; small grinder full of kampot black pepper, ditto full of halen mon de salt; a bottle of normal Tabasco and a bottle of habanero Tabasco
Colombian food is quite stodgy and bland and I have saved several meals this last week with these. Also arepas - corn patties served for breakfast with eggs - are actually quite yummy if doused in habanero Tabasco
There's now been a police and local authority press conferences, FAA flight restrictions, and invocations by the governors of concern from the FBI, the Department ofnd Security,
the Pentagon, and even the White House. It might just be the Chinese, but somethings up.
So far we've had nothing but words, its been months now since they were elected. Action should have been taken immediately to liberate planning to enable new house builds to happen but so far there's just warm words and then rinse and repeat.
If there's actual, serious, planning reform then I'll be the first to say well done. But warm words alone don't count for jack.
As for the rest of what you said, nothing but higher spending. That's nothing to be proud of.
The joy of the Japanese bags - as I’ve said - is that you literally only need the sachet. That’s it. It’s so simple and clever. Then you need a cup and hot water
There is no evidence of anything more than clickbait.
Come back to us when there is.
A monopoly utility gets to charge what it wants (subject to a regulator).
There is no good way for such a monopoly to be foreign owned. It will either be under-regulated, and excessive dividends paid overseas, with no benefit to the UK economy
(Macquarie).
Or it will be over regulated and therefore underfunded, so the assets deteriorate (that can also be the case I'df the owner is paying out dividends and underinvesting).
The incentives are all perverse.
The details of how they fiddle the books are a second order issue.
Let's at least have their bonuses back.
Ukraine was a peaceful country that war viciously attacked by Putin unprovoked.
Syria is a vicious dictatorship that has been at war with Israel for 76 years and counting since they tried to murder Israel at birth and have never sought nor got a peace agreement to end the war.
The second Syria wants to end the war peacefully then great, but until then yes Israel is well within its rights to seize land from states it is quite literally at war with.
It's all about the NHS. There are some positive noises about focusing on primary care and public health, but 1) it's not enough and 2) the gains from that almost certainly won't materialise within 5 years. Depressingly, the politically smart thing to do is keep chucking money at hospitals.
The only other option was a punted mega-budget that completely upends the entire fiscal environment in the UK (AKA the collective wisdom of PBers in one document). But that was never going to happen.
*Before people go mad, my personal priorities are almost the inverse of that polling.
He’s already abandoned his pledge to be the “fastest growing economy in the G7” - because they know they can’t do it. They don’t know what to do, they are panicked, but they have already accepted they are likely to be quite a shit government delivering - at best - tiny incremental improvements and probably failing in other areas
One term
You can't keep a national treasure down.
I’m in a bar at Cartagena airport pumping out reggaeton. My god. It is possibly even worse than drill
Politicians know its a problem and make baby steps, but most of the time get scared and have to pretend the public are not just selfish short sighted idiots on this topic.
There are few things that affect households more than their household finances and having a household of your own is the best way to improve that.
The housing theory of everything is very true, most of the flaws in our society stem to the broken housing market and while the NHS is a fiscal black hole that needs every more money - fixing housing would actually save money not cost money.
Fix housing and there won't be a need to pay Landlords Benefit anymore.
Fix housing and people won't need inflationary pay rises just to keep heads above water.
Fix housing and the state can get taxes on extra economic activity.