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100 days in and so far it’s not looking good for Kemi Badenoch – politicalbetting.com

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  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 18,091
    Leon said:

    The Thai dish of morning glory in garlic and chili is one of the secret spleandours of international cuisine

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    The bitterness of the morning glory is superbly countered by the hint of sugar, the heat from the chili, and the umami from oyster/fish and soy sauce

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    Takes 10 minutes?

    Wow

    https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/side-dishes/sir-fried-morning-glory-pad-pak-boong-fai-daeng/

    Need some care with that recipe - Morning Glory is somewhat ambiguous. In the UK you'd expect it to be Ipomoea tricolor, and would note that the seeds are hallucegenic...
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 52,941
    kamski said:

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    which institutions ignored which issues?
    Well for a start, her university decided there was absolutely no problem there.

    Obviously, dropping senior politicians in the crapper is bad idea if you are running a university - they might take it badly.
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 5,342
    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    “Incentive based decision making with negative alternatives “.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999

    Leon said:

    The first 100 days really are crucial. Few escape their fate

    Starmer failed the test, and I fear Kemi B is the same. It’s a shame, I quite like her, she is bright and interesting, but….. she’s just not *papabile*

    She’s not assisted by the fact that Jenrick, Tory shit that he is, seems to have mastered social media AND makes fast, punchy, aggressive points in the Commons while looking like the lead singer of the Killers. He would be mincing Starmer weekly at PMQs

    Jenrick is a Cambridge educated lawyer, he's the best of the best.
    There are always bad apples. I once met a Baggies fan I didn't like!
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999
    MattW said:

    Does anyone have a link to our PB Tesla channel?

    No but "justgetatesla" on YouTube. It very good. Helllloooow
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117

    HYUFD said:

    Badenoch is more a policy wonk than a natural leader. That said the latest Electoral Calculus poll average and seat forecast has the Conservatives gaining 35 seats on the last general election, despite a slightly lower voteshare as the Labour vote is down much more. Which would be rather better for the LOTO than Foot did in 1983 or Hague did in 2001 or Ed Miliband did in 2015 having taken over as LOTO like Kemi after their party lost power.

    https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/prediction_main.html

    Note how almost as many LD voters as Tories think Badenoch would be a better PM than Farage, so she is at least making progress with LDs given comparison with Reform even if most Reform voters overwhelmingly prefer Farage to her.

    The fact most Conservative voters also think she is doing a good job should secure her position until the next GE given she won both the Tory MPs and Tory members votes

    I'm old enough to remember the guffaws from Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Silly Billy Dennis Healey when the Conservatives stuck themselves with Margaret Thatcher. Looks to me like we have made the same mistake again.
    Probably not as bad as that, since she's unlikely ever to be PM.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,106
    .

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    The plagiarism detectors I (am obliged to*) use are pretty poor, to be fair. The alleged plagiarised passages often don't stand up to even cursory scrutiny. I don't know whether they are as poor for false negatives too.

    *might be we just got given a shit one because it's cheap or something
  • LeonLeon Posts: 58,436
    I might become a Quaker
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,125

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
  • kamskikamski Posts: 5,816

    kamski said:

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    which institutions ignored which issues?
    Well for a start, her university decided there was absolutely no problem there.

    Obviously, dropping senior politicians in the crapper is bad idea if you are running a university - they might take it badly.
    But you said 'So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.' That is just one case. So I'm curious what your statement is based on?

    Also even in von der Leyen's case Hanover Medical School didn't simply ignore the issue, but decided not to strip her of her degree because they decided intention to deceive couldn't be proved. Maybe the wrong decision for the wrong reasons, as you say.

    And in other cases, people have had their degrees removed and have had to resign. And of course, sometimes, as in this Habeck case, people are falsely accused for various reasons.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 25,220
    edited February 10
    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    The first 100 days really are crucial. Few escape their fate

    Starmer failed the test, and I fear Kemi B is the same. It’s a shame, I quite like her, she is bright and interesting, but….. she’s just not *papabile*

    She’s not assisted by the fact that Jenrick, Tory shit that he is, seems to have mastered social media AND makes fast, punchy, aggressive points in the Commons while looking like the lead singer of the Killers. He would be mincing Starmer weekly at PMQs

    Kemi is not hated as much as Farage is or Jenrick would be or as unpopular as Starmer now is but she also doesn't make waves in the media and have a likeable personality and some charisma in the way Ed Davey does.

    She is more of an intellectual than natural party leader. Having said that she is not really a negative for the Tories either like Truss was, more of a shrug shoulders leader
    "Some charisma".

    WINNING HERE !!!
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 18,091

    kamski said:

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    which institutions ignored which issues?
    Well for a start, her university decided there was absolutely no problem there.

    Obviously, dropping senior politicians in the crapper is bad idea if you are running a university - they might take it badly.
    How long have we routinely had plagiarism checkers? I know its routine now, but 20 years ago? Also a plagiarism on technical content often throws up false hits (for instance references will appear to be plagiarised because they are formatted exactly and will be used by multiple documents.
  • MJWMJW Posts: 1,958
    As some of us pointed out before, Badenoch's citizenship proposals might well be much less popular than they appeared in an earlier poll that didn't specify the length of time she wanted people to wait to apply - because most people don't know the length of wait and assume it's quite immediate.

    https://www.britishfuture.org/fewer-than-1-in-10-people-support-badenochs-proposed-15-year-wait-on-citizenship-poll/
  • CookieCookie Posts: 14,474
    Leon said:

    I might become a Quaker

    ...go on?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999
    Leon said:

    I might become a Quaker

    I had heard you hadn't had your oats for a while.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,106
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    I might become a Quaker

    ...go on?
    He's heard it's oats so simple.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    “Incentive based decision making with negative alternatives “.
    Sanctions-mediated decision making.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    I might become a Quaker

    ...go on?
    DTs have set in ?
  • eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,106
    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    The first 100 days really are crucial. Few escape their fate

    Starmer failed the test, and I fear Kemi B is the same. It’s a shame, I quite like her, she is bright and interesting, but….. she’s just not *papabile*

    She’s not assisted by the fact that Jenrick, Tory shit that he is, seems to have mastered social media AND makes fast, punchy, aggressive points in the Commons while looking like the lead singer of the Killers. He would be mincing Starmer weekly at PMQs

    Kemi is not hated as much as Farage is or Jenrick would be or as unpopular as Starmer now is but she also doesn't make waves in the media and have a likeable personality and some charisma in the way Ed Davey does.

    She is more of an intellectual than natural party leader. Having said that she is not really a negative for the Tories either like Truss was, more of a shrug shoulders leader
    While I'm no Kemi fan, I'd have her second in charisma to Farage, ahead of Starmer and Davey. Davey has something, but I wouldn't call it charisma, more of a bit of a 'relatively normal person' vibe. That, in itself, is valuable.

  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 9,106
    Nigelb said:

    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765

    That's neat.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,138
    edited February 10

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
    There is plenty of research that shows bribes / facilitation fees have a negative impact on gdp growth rates.

    Equally clearly you can take the child out of India but you can’t take India out of the child. Granted I think Pakistan is far worse when it comes to low level immediate payment facilitation fees
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,980
    Selebian said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    The first 100 days really are crucial. Few escape their fate

    Starmer failed the test, and I fear Kemi B is the same. It’s a shame, I quite like her, she is bright and interesting, but….. she’s just not *papabile*

    She’s not assisted by the fact that Jenrick, Tory shit that he is, seems to have mastered social media AND makes fast, punchy, aggressive points in the Commons while looking like the lead singer of the Killers. He would be mincing Starmer weekly at PMQs

    Kemi is not hated as much as Farage is or Jenrick would be or as unpopular as Starmer now is but she also doesn't make waves in the media and have a likeable personality and some charisma in the way Ed Davey does.

    She is more of an intellectual than natural party leader. Having said that she is not really a negative for the Tories either like Truss was, more of a shrug shoulders leader
    While I'm no Kemi fan, I'd have her second in charisma to Farage, ahead of Starmer and Davey. Davey has something, but I wouldn't call it charisma, more of a bit of a 'relatively normal person' vibe. That, in itself, is valuable.

    If I'm reading the data correctly Davey would beat Farage or Badenoch and would do reasonably well against Starmer.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 52,941

    kamski said:

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    which institutions ignored which issues?
    Well for a start, her university decided there was absolutely no problem there.

    Obviously, dropping senior politicians in the crapper is bad idea if you are running a university - they might take it badly.
    How long have we routinely had plagiarism checkers? I know its routine now, but 20 years ago? Also a plagiarism on technical content often throws up false hits (for instance references will appear to be plagiarised because they are formatted exactly and will be used by multiple documents.
    The vaguely decent checkers look for footnoting and other reference stuff.

    I've seen people caught by this - "Oh whoops, I forgot to reference all the quotes I used...."
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    Is this because they're getting serious about defence, or since their car industry is fncked ?

    “The Ministry of the Armed Forces wants to turn to civilian industry to manufacture weapons, as long as they can be ‘mass-produced quickly’. The car industry has been asked to produce ‘kamikaze drones’ similar to those used in Ukraine. These would be long-range loitering munitions- over 100 kilometres. According to the Defence Procurement and Technology Agency ( @DGA ), which is steering this project at the Ministry, the aim would be to deliver ‘several thousand loitering munitions in a few months’.” —
    @jdomerchet


    Moreover, according to the general delegate of the @DGA , France “has innovative ideas for the production of [low-cost] surface-to-air missiles.“

    https://x.com/aidefranceukr/status/1886032315651915940
  • AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 3,209
    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    Would also cover a lot of good decisions made for good reason; or the inverse.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999
    edited February 10

    Is this necessary?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/andrew-gwynne-whatsapp-chat-non-crime-hate-incident/

    Ex-Labour minister’s WhatsApp chat recorded as non-crime hate incident

    Police confirm they have begun inquiry into Andrew Gwynne’s messages

    I heard a police statement suggesting it was a "non criminal hate crime". Make of that what you will.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    Selebian said:

    Nigelb said:

    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765

    That's neat.
    The initial plans are for a rich person's toy / corporate jet.
    But the tech should scale up.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 29,793
    edited February 10

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    Rather a niche view of PMQs last week, dare I say?

    Advice to Kemi – you have six questions. Do not ask three questions in one, or Starmer will just answer the easiest one. Do not make a short speech in any of the questions. Do not reply to Keir, just move on. In short, ask six questions.
    Not niche, though views on the matter are undoubtedly divided. Of the two articles on the Speccy, one headline was 'Kemi let Starmer off the hook' the other was 'First good PMQs from Kemi'. But it is an arch-insider hack view that thinks Starmer's 'national security briefing' defence worked. I try to look at the issue from a public 'never seen PMQs before' perspective. And from that perspective he looked shifty, and his answers quickly deteriorated from shifty to barely being able to speak. Perhaps he's like that all the time, I don't watch it every week.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Irony of ironies.

    Trump fanboi stresses over scandal hit German Green politician.

    He'll be fine. Trump was.
  • eek said:

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
    There is plenty of research that shows bribes / facilitation fees have a negative impact on gdp growth rates.

    Equally clearly you can take the child out of India but you can’t take India out of the child
    I once had to deal with an issue where somebody wasn’t even attempting to hide their bribes.

    When we say bribes, we’re talking money, cars, properties, hookers, drugs, and shopping trips.

    It all came crashing down when they tried to claim back the VAT.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    edited February 10
    After the recent astrobiology news..

    Concomitant formation of protocells and prebiotic compounds under a plausible early Earth atmosphere
    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2413816122
    Miller–Urey experiments demonstrated that prebiotic organic compounds can be synthesized from a reducing atmosphere, alkaline water, and electrical discharges. We show that in these experiments, only in the presence of water, silica induces the formation of a solid organic film made of polymers of hydrogen cyanide. In these films, we found nano- to micron-size biomorphic protocells forming through a mechanism of bubbling and water–gas interfacial precipitation. Our results suggest that protocells and the key molecules of life already coexisted on the earliest Earth, setting stage for the emergence of life and additional criteria for life detection. These organic “protoworlds” could be widely distributed across the universe on any Earth-like body where they might follow different evolutionary paths...

    But note, "Our results suggest that the coexistence of molecular building blocks of life and submicron biomorphic structures in the oldest rocks on Earth or any other celestial body does not necessarily mean evidence of life..."
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999
    Selebian said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    The first 100 days really are crucial. Few escape their fate

    Starmer failed the test, and I fear Kemi B is the same. It’s a shame, I quite like her, she is bright and interesting, but….. she’s just not *papabile*

    She’s not assisted by the fact that Jenrick, Tory shit that he is, seems to have mastered social media AND makes fast, punchy, aggressive points in the Commons while looking like the lead singer of the Killers. He would be mincing Starmer weekly at PMQs

    Kemi is not hated as much as Farage is or Jenrick would be or as unpopular as Starmer now is but she also doesn't make waves in the media and have a likeable personality and some charisma in the way Ed Davey does.

    She is more of an intellectual than natural party leader. Having said that she is not really a negative for the Tories either like Truss was, more of a shrug shoulders leader
    While I'm no Kemi fan, I'd have her second in charisma to Farage, ahead of Starmer and Davey. Davey has something, but I wouldn't call it charisma, more of a bit of a 'relatively normal person' vibe. That, in itself, is valuable.

    If charisma means confidently blowing one's own trumpet before putting one's foot in one's mouth, she probably shades Farage on that metric too.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 25,220
    Perun, a day late, on Trade Wars and How to Win One.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSXGUGFncgk

    (I haven't listened yet but there should be some good turns of phrase !)
  • Revealed: Tories in WhatsApp war over how to tackle Reform threat
    Conservatives who lost seats in July predict Nigel Farage’s party will be in next government, but others want to ‘stop focusing on them’

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/tories-in-whatsapp-war-over-how-to-tackle-reform-threat/ (£££)

    https://telegraph.co.uk/gift/35758613d340d6e6

    Try the gift link. I do not know how many goes it gets. Maybe only one.
  • logical_songlogical_song Posts: 9,980
    eek said:

    rcs1000 said:

    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Has there ever been a time when a LibDem leader has led a Conservative one on the best PM metric?

    Charles Kennedy IDS, maybe Davey Truss too. Notably Davey leads Farage as best PM too and is also closest to Starmer on that metric.

    Davey also outpolls his party's voteshare on the best PM metric unlike the other 2 opposition leaders
    I'm staggered most voters know who Davey is
    Davey spent the entire election being the comedy element - even if you don’t know him it’s very easy to remind people - he was the one windsurfing/ rollercoaster riding in the election
    Maybe that's the way to attract attention from the majority of the non political public.
    Davey brings to mind the stunts during the election and that allows him to make progress for Carers or on closer ties with the EU.
    Farage's image is on a bloke outside a pub holding a pint and grinning (it should be of the idiot who brought us Brexit, but he seems to have got away with that so far).
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 18,091

    kamski said:

    Carnyx said:

    Selebian said:

    Scandal hits the German Green leader:

    https://x.com/tom_nuttall/status/1888919745300152810

    It's not a real German election campaign until a senior politician has to deny that they plagiarised their doctorate.

    Surely 'recycling' an old thesis is the right thing to do if you're Green?
    I've always been suspicious of such attacks ever since a Scottish Labour MSP got very excited about the SNP deleting words from inside verbatim quotations in government policy documents and putting "[...]" instead. That was real fraudulent, apparently.
    In the case of degree theses and German politicians - a number of them have been caught by this already.

    A journalist of enquiring mind downloaded the theses in question and ran them against plagiarism checkers….

    So many were found, in fact that the institutions in question simply ignored the issue.

    IIRC 40% of Ursula von der Leyen’s thesis was copy and pasta…
    which institutions ignored which issues?
    Well for a start, her university decided there was absolutely no problem there.

    Obviously, dropping senior politicians in the crapper is bad idea if you are running a university - they might take it badly.
    How long have we routinely had plagiarism checkers? I know its routine now, but 20 years ago? Also a plagiarism on technical content often throws up false hits (for instance references will appear to be plagiarised because they are formatted exactly and will be used by multiple documents.
    The vaguely decent checkers look for footnoting and other reference stuff.

    I've seen people caught by this - "Oh whoops, I forgot to reference all the quotes I used...."
    They do, but do journalists understand this?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587
    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 29,999

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Boris's Rwanda payment could be a dry run for this sort of developing world scam on a G7 nation.
  • Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 3,173
    Why_Harris_Lost_2
    10 February 2025

    Also off topic, but almost certainly of interest to most of you:
    On the first of this month I argued that you should look more at why Kamala Harris lost than why the Loser won, noting that Republican governors have been -- on the whole -- out-performing their Democratic counterparts for years.

    Now for an example of an area in which voters are far more likely to trust Republicans than Democrats.
    "Seraphine Warren stepped foot in Washington on Sunday evening, with the eagle feathers on her prayer staff waving in the breeze, as she completed her nearly 2,400-mile prayer walk from Sweetwater, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation. She undertook the journey in honor of her aunt Ella Mae Begay, a Dineh (Navajo) elder who disappeared 16 months ago, and to raise awareness of the alarming numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous people, especially women.
    The missing and murdered Indigenous women movement (#MMIW) has gained traction in recent years as Native American activists have criticized tribal and federal law enforcement officials for failing to aggressively investigate cases and the courts for failing to prosecute." source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/13/seraphine-missing-murdered-indigenous-women/

    What is true for the Navajo is true for many other minorities in the US, especially if they are poor. They do not receive the same police protection as wealthy whites -- but need it far more. And, mostly they need it to protect them from members of their own groups.
    Harris, early in her California career, was willing to face that unpleasant fact, but changed, in spite of the evidence. Contrast this to Bill Clinton's successful 1992 campaign, in which he promised 100,000 more police oficers.


  • kenObikenObi Posts: 245

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Boris's Rwanda payment could be a dry run for this sort of developing world scam on a G7 nation.
    Kagame might put in an unsolicited bid to take them for x billion dollars.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 13,431
    Nigelb said:

    After the recent astrobiology news..

    Concomitant formation of protocells and prebiotic compounds under a plausible early Earth atmosphere
    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2413816122
    Miller–Urey experiments demonstrated that prebiotic organic compounds can be synthesized from a reducing atmosphere, alkaline water, and electrical discharges. We show that in these experiments, only in the presence of water, silica induces the formation of a solid organic film made of polymers of hydrogen cyanide. In these films, we found nano- to micron-size biomorphic protocells forming through a mechanism of bubbling and water–gas interfacial precipitation. Our results suggest that protocells and the key molecules of life already coexisted on the earliest Earth, setting stage for the emergence of life and additional criteria for life detection. These organic “protoworlds” could be widely distributed across the universe on any Earth-like body where they might follow different evolutionary paths...

    But note, "Our results suggest that the coexistence of molecular building blocks of life and submicron biomorphic structures in the oldest rocks on Earth or any other celestial body does not necessarily mean evidence of life..."

    Perhaps better scientists can say more, but as I read this, 'organic' means carbon based, which arises out of the fact that one of the elements in the universe is carbon; and 'prebiotic' means not living. So I am not sure how it helps us.

    What does appear so far, as a comment on how possible it is for life to self emerge, is that in our obviously favoured planet there is no evidence of it occurring more than once, and no evidence of it ever occurring anywhere else even once.
  • Nigelb said:

    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765

    No sonic boom?
  • CookieCookie Posts: 14,474

    Is this necessary?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/andrew-gwynne-whatsapp-chat-non-crime-hate-incident/

    Ex-Labour minister’s WhatsApp chat recorded as non-crime hate incident

    Police confirm they have begun inquiry into Andrew Gwynne’s messages

    I heard a police statement suggesting it was a "non criminal hate crime". Make of that what you will.
    It's not really though. Just someone being a bit of a dick. Regrettable in an MP, perhaps, but surely not anything the police should be getting involved in?

    While it's fun to see the sanctimony of the left turned on itself, I'd really rather this was just parked as an issue. As it should be in any sane world. It was a private chat. Andrew Gwynne may be a bit of an arse but that was probably true anyway.
  • Nigelb said:

    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765

    No sonic boom?
    As explained in the thread, if you are high enough, the sonic boom soundwave never reaches the ground.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 386

    eek said:

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
    There is plenty of research that shows bribes / facilitation fees have a negative impact on gdp growth rates.

    Equally clearly you can take the child out of India but you can’t take India out of the child
    I once had to deal with an issue where somebody wasn’t even attempting to hide their bribes.

    When we say bribes, we’re talking money, cars, properties, hookers, drugs, and shopping trips.

    It all came crashing down when they tried to claim back the VAT.
    But was it ethical?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,000
    edited February 10
    ACAB.

    No surprise he is a Chelsea, only fans to have ever racially/religiously abused me.

    A police sergeant who was banned from football matches for "tragedy chanting" has been formally dismissed from his force.

    Tyler Coppin, 29, from Colchester, pleaded guilty in court to a public order offence in connection with an incident at the Liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield in October.

    He has now been found to have committed gross misconduct at an Essex Police misconduct hearing.

    Essex's Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: "If officers are responsible for upholding the law, it cannot be right that they break it."


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xq20re1n1o
  • FishingFishing Posts: 5,338

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
  • Battlebus said:

    eek said:

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
    There is plenty of research that shows bribes / facilitation fees have a negative impact on gdp growth rates.

    Equally clearly you can take the child out of India but you can’t take India out of the child
    I once had to deal with an issue where somebody wasn’t even attempting to hide their bribes.

    When we say bribes, we’re talking money, cars, properties, hookers, drugs, and shopping trips.

    It all came crashing down when they tried to claim back the VAT.
    But was it ethical?
    Nobody from Essex was involved.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,641
    "Labour MP Oliver Ryan suspended from party over 'deeply disappointing' WhatsApp messages"

    https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-oliver-ryan-suspended-from-party-over-deeply-disappointing-whatsapp-messages-13306596
  • Battlebus said:

    eek said:

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    Utter woke nonsense.

    I am proposing pro growth policies.
    There is plenty of research that shows bribes / facilitation fees have a negative impact on gdp growth rates.

    Equally clearly you can take the child out of India but you can’t take India out of the child
    I once had to deal with an issue where somebody wasn’t even attempting to hide their bribes.

    When we say bribes, we’re talking money, cars, properties, hookers, drugs, and shopping trips.

    It all came crashing down when they tried to claim back the VAT.
    But was it ethical?
    Nobody from Sheffield was involved.
    :innocent:
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    No he doesn't.

    He repeats his claim that he can make a deal, without "expanding" on anything, except this detail:
    BAIER: Would the Palestinians have the right to return to Gaza?
    TRUMP: No, they wouldn't

    Please don't claim propaganda is detail.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,138
    Fishing said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
    So who is paying Jordan / Egypt to take these people? Israel or the USA?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587
    Andy_JS said:

    "Labour MP Oliver Ryan suspended from party over 'deeply disappointing' WhatsApp messages"

    https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-oliver-ryan-suspended-from-party-over-deeply-disappointing-whatsapp-messages-13306596

    To lose one may be regarded as a misfortune...
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117

    Nigelb said:

    Pavng the way for overland supersonic commercial flights.
    (ie the US market.)

    Boom! We cracked it! Today we are introducing Boomless Cruise—supersonic flights up to 50% faster with no audible sonic boom.

    We quietly (har har) demo'd this on XB-1's first supersonic flight—three times actually. 🧵👇

    https://x.com/bscholl/status/1888939430833975765

    No sonic boom?
    Not on the ground, no.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 386

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Looking for cover by inviting others to join in his idea. When they reject it he can back off claiming they crashed his great idea to solve the Middle East conundrum.

    I'm a fan of democracy. Have a one-state solution. Give everyone* a vote and let democracy sort it out.

    *including the returnees on both sides.
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 3,230

    Is this necessary?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/andrew-gwynne-whatsapp-chat-non-crime-hate-incident/

    Ex-Labour minister’s WhatsApp chat recorded as non-crime hate incident

    Police confirm they have begun inquiry into Andrew Gwynne’s messages

    I heard a police statement suggesting it was a "non criminal hate crime". Make of that what you will.
    If it is not criminal, where is the crime?
  • eekeek Posts: 29,138

    Andy_JS said:

    "Labour MP Oliver Ryan suspended from party over 'deeply disappointing' WhatsApp messages"

    https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-oliver-ryan-suspended-from-party-over-deeply-disappointing-whatsapp-messages-13306596

    To lose one may be regarded as a misfortune...
    To lose 2 sounds like you’ve just been sent a link to the WhatsApp group.

    My only problem is 2 people is a chat, not a group so who else was involved and has the person who sent this to others escaped sanction
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,641
    With paywalls, it's interesting how they don't apply to sharing a physical copy of the paper at a country club, or browsing in a shop.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 52,941
    edited February 10
    a
    Cookie said:

    Is this necessary?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/andrew-gwynne-whatsapp-chat-non-crime-hate-incident/

    Ex-Labour minister’s WhatsApp chat recorded as non-crime hate incident

    Police confirm they have begun inquiry into Andrew Gwynne’s messages

    I heard a police statement suggesting it was a "non criminal hate crime". Make of that what you will.
    It's not really though. Just someone being a bit of a dick. Regrettable in an MP, perhaps, but surely not anything the police should be getting involved in?

    While it's fun to see the sanctimony of the left turned on itself, I'd really rather this was just parked as an issue. As it should be in any sane world. It was a private chat. Andrew Gwynne may be a bit of an arse but that was probably true anyway.
    Given the past history of the police (people being fired for what they put on WhatsApp etc.), I would imagine that some of them are enjoying, immensely, putting the boot in.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,619
    edited February 10
    kenObi said:

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
    If I were leader of the opposition trying make the rain, I wouldn't go all-in opposing taxing private education, supporting tax avoidance on land holdings and opposing rent payments for tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Whatever justification you have, these aren't mainstream concerns.
  • ACAB.

    No surprise he is a Chelsea, only fans to have ever racially/religiously abused me.

    A police sergeant who was banned from football matches for "tragedy chanting" has been formally dismissed from his force.

    Tyler Coppin, 29, from Colchester, pleaded guilty in court to a public order offence in connection with an incident at the Liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield in October.

    He has now been found to have committed gross misconduct at an Essex Police misconduct hearing.

    Essex's Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: "If officers are responsible for upholding the law, it cannot be right that they break it."


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xq20re1n1o

    Seems a bit harsh, tbh.
  • TazTaz Posts: 16,604

    a

    Cookie said:

    Is this necessary?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/10/andrew-gwynne-whatsapp-chat-non-crime-hate-incident/

    Ex-Labour minister’s WhatsApp chat recorded as non-crime hate incident

    Police confirm they have begun inquiry into Andrew Gwynne’s messages

    I heard a police statement suggesting it was a "non criminal hate crime". Make of that what you will.
    It's not really though. Just someone being a bit of a dick. Regrettable in an MP, perhaps, but surely not anything the police should be getting involved in?

    While it's fun to see the sanctimony of the left turned on itself, I'd really rather this was just parked as an issue. As it should be in any sane world. It was a private chat. Andrew Gwynne may be a bit of an arse but that was probably true anyway.
    Given the past history of the police (people being fired for what they put on WhatsApp etc.), I would imagine that some of them are enjoying, immensely, putting the boot in.
    Not only being fired but being convicted in a court of law for jokes and off colour comments.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    After the recent astrobiology news..

    Concomitant formation of protocells and prebiotic compounds under a plausible early Earth atmosphere
    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2413816122
    Miller–Urey experiments demonstrated that prebiotic organic compounds can be synthesized from a reducing atmosphere, alkaline water, and electrical discharges. We show that in these experiments, only in the presence of water, silica induces the formation of a solid organic film made of polymers of hydrogen cyanide. In these films, we found nano- to micron-size biomorphic protocells forming through a mechanism of bubbling and water–gas interfacial precipitation. Our results suggest that protocells and the key molecules of life already coexisted on the earliest Earth, setting stage for the emergence of life and additional criteria for life detection. These organic “protoworlds” could be widely distributed across the universe on any Earth-like body where they might follow different evolutionary paths...

    But note, "Our results suggest that the coexistence of molecular building blocks of life and submicron biomorphic structures in the oldest rocks on Earth or any other celestial body does not necessarily mean evidence of life..."

    Perhaps better scientists can say more, but as I read this, 'organic' means carbon based, which arises out of the fact that one of the elements in the universe is carbon; and 'prebiotic' means not living. So I am not sure how it helps us.

    What does appear so far, as a comment on how possible it is for life to self emerge, is that in our obviously favoured planet there is no evidence of it occurring more than once, and no evidence of it ever occurring anywhere else even once.
    It doesn't, really.

    What they're saying is that the theoretical preconditions for life are likely to be extremely common, but some stuff that we've though might be evidence of actual life (structures that look like microscopic fossils of single celled organisms) commonly won't be that, in all likelihood.
  • SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 39,942
    edited February 10
    This polling was not great for Farage, either. Tying with Badenoch and trailing Starmer and Davey is very much against the current media narrative, which is that he is basically Prime Minister in waiting. It's interesting that both Davey and Starmer get higher numbers against him than they do against her.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    edited February 10
    .
    eek said:

    Fishing said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
    So who is paying Jordan / Egypt to take these people? Israel or the USA?
    "We're already paying them billions".

    I think this is likely to be an example of sanctions-based incentives.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 386
    I've nailed colours by betting on her being replaced. Followed up (9/4) on Trump not lasting the fool term.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,619

    This polling was not great for Farage, either. Tying with Badenoch and trailing Starmer and Davey is very much against the current media narrative, which is that he is basically Prime Minister in waiting. It's interesting that both Davey and Starmer get higher numbers against him than they do against her.

    Indeed. The way things are in politics I am happy to clutch any straws on offer.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    .

    Battlebus said:

    I've nailed colours by betting on her being replaced. Followed up (9/4) on Trump not lasting the fool term.

    Fool term is an awesome typo/Freudian.
    I'd assumed it was deliberate.
  • ACAB.

    No surprise he is a Chelsea, only fans to have ever racially/religiously abused me.

    A police sergeant who was banned from football matches for "tragedy chanting" has been formally dismissed from his force.

    Tyler Coppin, 29, from Colchester, pleaded guilty in court to a public order offence in connection with an incident at the Liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield in October.

    He has now been found to have committed gross misconduct at an Essex Police misconduct hearing.

    Essex's Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: "If officers are responsible for upholding the law, it cannot be right that they break it."


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xq20re1n1o

    Seems a bit harsh, tbh.
    Given the context of the police’s role in the Hillsborough disaster/smear campaign/cover up then termination was the appropriate sanction.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 74,117
    Someone should inform DOGE

    Hegseth Wants $50,000 for 'Emergency' Paint Job to Move into Military Family Housing, Lawmakers Say
    https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/07/hegseth-wants-50000-emergency-paint-job-move-military-family-housing-lawmakers-say.html
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,108

    ACAB.

    No surprise he is a Chelsea, only fans to have ever racially/religiously abused me.

    A police sergeant who was banned from football matches for "tragedy chanting" has been formally dismissed from his force.

    Tyler Coppin, 29, from Colchester, pleaded guilty in court to a public order offence in connection with an incident at the Liverpool v Chelsea game at Anfield in October.

    He has now been found to have committed gross misconduct at an Essex Police misconduct hearing.

    Essex's Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: "If officers are responsible for upholding the law, it cannot be right that they break it."


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xq20re1n1o

    Seems a bit harsh, tbh.
    Reduced to constable and posted to Basildon should have been sufficient?
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,491
    Andy_JS said:

    With paywalls, it's interesting how they don't apply to sharing a physical copy of the paper at a country club, or browsing in a shop.

    I've occasionally wondered if publishers and authors might impose a licence condition on book purchasers to prevent them lending or selling the book to anyone else. I realise there's a Public Lending Right, but it's scant compensation for the loss of IP.

    If I buy a six-pack of cola why shouldn't I stand in the park on a hot day selling individual cans for £1 each (as the packaging implies).
  • kamskikamski Posts: 5,816
    Nigelb said:

    .

    eek said:

    Fishing said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
    So who is paying Jordan / Egypt to take these people? Israel or the USA?
    "We're already paying them billions".

    I think this is likely to be an example of sanctions-based incentives.
    True, but the US is already paying Israel a lot more billions, and not really getting value for money. Israel can host them?
  • Alphabet_SoupAlphabet_Soup Posts: 3,491

    Battlebus said:

    I've nailed colours by betting on her being replaced. Followed up (9/4) on Trump not lasting the fool term.

    Fool term is an awesome typo/Freudian.
    cf. Fool English Breakfast.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,802

    eek said:

    I tell you what is confirming the evil legacies of colonialism is the racist English language, words like blackmail and blacklist.

    We need words and phrases to replace these racist words, I offer 'incentive based decision making' for blackmail.

    “Incentive based decision making” also covers bribes so I don’t think it makes things as clear as you hope
    You say bribes, I say facilitation fees.
    Equally illegal.
    “Secret commission” is the legal term
  • This polling was not great for Farage, either. Tying with Badenoch and trailing Starmer and Davey is very much against the current media narrative, which is that he is basically Prime Minister in waiting. It's interesting that both Davey and Starmer get higher numbers against him than they do against her.

    Farage is marmite- you really love him or you really hate him. Yes, he gives some people the political horn, but he also rallies his opponents against him.

    The picture we get at the moment is a bit distrorting-mirror. Farage fans are loud, everyone else is shuffling anxiously and quietly.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,802
    Also WTF has happened in Gaza?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,398
    edited February 10
    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    TOPPING said:

    HYUFD said:

    FPT

    TOPPING said:

    I think there would be a huge amount of fascinating, mind-expanding, and stimulating content in a course which has at its core "the toxic legacy of colonialism".

    Not least to puncture the exceptionalism of many in this country who might, incidentally, but centrally to the premise, bridle at the topic.

    But why not look at the legacy of colonialism in the round, rather than the toxic legacy?

    What other historical subjects have we predetermined the verdict on before we even teach them? The toxic legacy of Elizabeth I? The toxic legacy of the Romans? The toxic legacy of the Industrial Revolution? The toxic legacy of the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act?

    It is a cretinously ahistorical approach, which is how we can tell it is propaganda by grifters.
    May as well just teach the toxic legacy of white heterosexual males (and rich privileged white females) and be done with it
    There's something in that. There has been a history of oppression by white males (we have no particular record of their sexual preferences) and it would repay study.

    As mentioend to @Luckyguy1983 I don't think, from an academic study and investigation perspective, they should have appended the word "toxic" to the exercise because that is for people to determine themselves.

    But I'm glad you are thinking along the right lines of investigation, although I'm not sure where rich privileged white females fit into the hierarchy of oppression.
    Presumably Mary Tudor, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great etc all who either executed opponents or built Empires.

    Of course given there were never any Empires built by Asian or Muslim or African or Latin American nations and slavery was always perpetrated by white men woke history teachers should get white boys to stand up with a dunces cap on and walk around the classroom 3 times to be shouted and abused and shamed for the toxic legacy of their ancestors and their unjustified privilege
    Oh dear, you've been reading Our Island Story too many times and it has had the inevitable result.
    An ideal policy for Kemi and Nigel, make reading 'Our Island Story' compulsory in all secondary school history classes so they get to see all views of our past
    It ius indeed an excellent example of political propaganda. Like the English Civil War newssheets. (Be unfair to call it state propaganda as it was only later coopted for that.)
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 44,398

    Andy_JS said:

    With paywalls, it's interesting how they don't apply to sharing a physical copy of the paper at a country club, or browsing in a shop.

    I've occasionally wondered if publishers and authors might impose a licence condition on book purchasers to prevent them lending or selling the book to anyone else. I realise there's a Public Lending Right, but it's scant compensation for the loss of IP.

    If I buy a six-pack of cola why shouldn't I stand in the park on a hot day selling individual cans for £1 each (as the packaging implies).
    Er, the cola isn't reuseable (well, one or two brands might be). Difference right there.

    And you do know there are fees under PLR that go to authors?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587
    LeftieStats thinks that Jess Phillips is third in her constituency behind the Workers’ Party and Reform:

    https://x.com/leftiestats/status/1888992575765283104
  • Ugh, republic now.

    The King has made a rare joint visit with Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to give them a personal tour of the vast new-build development in Cornwall that he inspired.

    The visit to Nansledan, a 540-acre extension of Newquay, built on Duchy of Cornwall land, was arranged following multiple discussions about housing between the King and Sir Keir at various meetings.

    Sir Keir expressed an interest in seeing the development and so the King offered to show him around, alongside Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary.

    It is rare, if not unprecedented, for the monarch to be accompanied on an official public engagement by both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.


    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/02/10/king-charles-makes-rare-joint-trip-with-starmer-and-rayner/
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,641
    edited February 10
    One of the comments under this video is "I'm 70 years old and I want to be Katie Hopkins when I grow up."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w3p-5k0wjE

    "Brutal: Katie Hopkins Absolutely tears Me Apart
    Andrew Gold"
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 52,941
    eek said:

    Fishing said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
    So who is paying Jordan / Egypt to take these people? Israel or the USA?
    Mexico, obviously. Just like The Wall.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,108

    Ugh, republic now.

    The King has made a rare joint visit with Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to give them a personal tour of the vast new-build development in Cornwall that he inspired.

    The visit to Nansledan, a 540-acre extension of Newquay, built on Duchy of Cornwall land, was arranged following multiple discussions about housing between the King and Sir Keir at various meetings.

    Sir Keir expressed an interest in seeing the development and so the King offered to show him around, alongside Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary.

    It is rare, if not unprecedented, for the monarch to be accompanied on an official public engagement by both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.


    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/02/10/king-charles-makes-rare-joint-trip-with-starmer-and-rayner/

    Isn't there a security risk there?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587

    eek said:

    Fishing said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Bizarre to pay other uninvolved countries so that you can commit a mass atrocity crime.

    But I've long ago ceased to try to fathom what goes on in Trump's narcissistic, sociopathic mind.
    So who is paying Jordan / Egypt to take these people? Israel or the USA?
    Mexico, obviously. Just like The Wall.
    "We're gonna build a mall."
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 53,587

    Ugh, republic now.

    The King has made a rare joint visit with Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to give them a personal tour of the vast new-build development in Cornwall that he inspired.

    The visit to Nansledan, a 540-acre extension of Newquay, built on Duchy of Cornwall land, was arranged following multiple discussions about housing between the King and Sir Keir at various meetings.

    Sir Keir expressed an interest in seeing the development and so the King offered to show him around, alongside Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary.

    It is rare, if not unprecedented, for the monarch to be accompanied on an official public engagement by both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.


    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/02/10/king-charles-makes-rare-joint-trip-with-starmer-and-rayner/

    Isn't there a security risk there?
    She's the Deputy Prime Minister!
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 23,434

    Leon said:

    The Thai dish of morning glory in garlic and chili is one of the secret spleandours of international cuisine

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    The bitterness of the morning glory is superbly countered by the hint of sugar, the heat from the chili, and the umami from oyster/fish and soy sauce

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    Takes 10 minutes?

    Wow

    https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/side-dishes/sir-fried-morning-glory-pad-pak-boong-fai-daeng/

    Need some care with that recipe - Morning Glory is somewhat ambiguous. In the UK you'd expect it to be Ipomoea tricolor, and would note that the seeds are hallucegenic...
    (Thirty years later, viewcode finally gets the double meaning of the Oasis song...)
  • MJWMJW Posts: 1,958

    LeftieStats thinks that Jess Phillips is third in her constituency behind the Workers’ Party and Reform:

    https://x.com/leftiestats/status/1888992575765283104

    Famously reliable account without a grudge against anyone to the right of Stalin, that one.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,468
    edited February 10
    FF43 said:

    kenObi said:

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
    If I were leader of the opposition trying make the rain, I wouldn't go all-in opposing taxing private education, supporting tax avoidance on land holdings and opposing rent payments for tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Whatever justification you have, these aren't mainstream concerns.
    As I understand it Davey opposes vat on private schools, certainly opposes the IHT on farmers, and the Chagos deal in line with conservative and reform

    Seems Labour are isolated on all 3 issues
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,108
    viewcode said:

    Leon said:

    The Thai dish of morning glory in garlic and chili is one of the secret spleandours of international cuisine

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    The bitterness of the morning glory is superbly countered by the hint of sugar, the heat from the chili, and the umami from oyster/fish and soy sauce

    https://khinskitchen.com/morning-glory-stir-fry/

    Takes 10 minutes?

    Wow

    https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/side-dishes/sir-fried-morning-glory-pad-pak-boong-fai-daeng/

    Need some care with that recipe - Morning Glory is somewhat ambiguous. In the UK you'd expect it to be Ipomoea tricolor, and would note that the seeds are hallucegenic...
    (Thirty years later, viewcode finally gets the double meaning of the Oasis song...)
    I must admit I did wonder a bit when I first had the Thai dish. But our daughter-in-law cooked it for us, so ........ what the hell!
  • MJWMJW Posts: 1,958
    Battlebus said:

    Trump expands on his plan to do a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take in the residents of Gaza:

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/1888984390165827820

    Looking for cover by inviting others to join in his idea. When they reject it he can back off claiming they crashed his great idea to solve the Middle East conundrum.

    I'm a fan of democracy. Have a one-state solution. Give everyone* a vote and let democracy sort it out.

    *including the returnees on both sides.
    A great idea if you want an absolute bloodbath.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 52,941
    MJW said:

    LeftieStats thinks that Jess Phillips is third in her constituency behind the Workers’ Party and Reform:

    https://x.com/leftiestats/status/1888992575765283104

    Famously reliable account without a grudge against anyone to the right of Stalin, that one.
    Disgraceful suggestion

    That LeftieStats would think that Stalin is other than a hard right capitalist, that is.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,108

    FF43 said:

    kenObi said:

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
    If I were leader of the opposition trying make the rain, I wouldn't go all-in opposing taxing private education, supporting tax avoidance on land holdings and opposing rent payments for tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Whatever justification you have, these aren't mainstream concerns.
    As I understand it Davey opposes vat on private schools, certainly opposes the IHT on farmers, and the Chagos deal in line with conservative and reform

    Seems Labour are isolated on all 3 issues
    You're pushing me back from LibDem towards Labour again! I'll have to re-examine my voting intentions vis a vis the Greens.
  • FF43 said:

    kenObi said:

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
    If I were leader of the opposition trying make the rain, I wouldn't go all-in opposing taxing private education, supporting tax avoidance on land holdings and opposing rent payments for tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Whatever justification you have, these aren't mainstream concerns.
    As I understand it Davey opposes vat on private schools, certainly opposes the IHT on farmers, and the Chagos deal in line with conservative and reform

    Seems Labour are isolated on all 3 issues
    You're pushing me back from LibDem towards Labour again! I'll have to re-examine my voting intentions vis a vis the Greens.
    Maybe have a word with Ed !!!!!!
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,108

    FF43 said:

    kenObi said:

    So as not to disappoint PB with my tendency to take a contrarian view, there are some reasons to be cheerful from a Badenoch perspective.

    - She recently gave CCHQ a collective kick up the arse. Granted, she perhaps should have just given them their marching orders, but one must start somewhere.
    - Her last PMQs outing was a growling display of conservative populism, reducing Starmer to a heap of separated mayonnaise. More of that please.
    - She has (against all expectations) finally released a policy. And whilst being small, it was an OK one. Not even close to a solution to mass migration, but broadly sensible, not heavily criticised from the right, and not caused an upset with the wets.

    Well done Kemi!

    She has been utterly useless so far, but she has a hugely difficult job.

    Waiting for Labour to fail & implode won't be anywhere near enough, as Farage is her biggest danger and he won't be settling for a Nick Clegg role.
    If I were leader of the opposition trying make the rain, I wouldn't go all-in opposing taxing private education, supporting tax avoidance on land holdings and opposing rent payments for tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Whatever justification you have, these aren't mainstream concerns.
    As I understand it Davey opposes vat on private schools, certainly opposes the IHT on farmers, and the Chagos deal in line with conservative and reform

    Seems Labour are isolated on all 3 issues
    You're pushing me back from LibDem towards Labour again! I'll have to re-examine my voting intentions vis a vis the Greens.
    Maybe have a word with Ed !!!!!!
    Davey or Milliband?
This discussion has been closed.