Why are actors held in such contempt that they merit the derisive “luvvies”? It’s hard to see what they’ve, as a group, done wrong and it’s one of the few remaining fields of endeavour that these islands remain an undisputed global leader in. Actor expresses opinion. So what?
Eloquent naivety is irritating.
(Why actors tend to have airhead views is more interesting. In theory their understanding of the human condition should be strong - perhaps it comes from not understanding the difference between anecdotes and policy).
I don't think it is that complicated, it's just that actors are often charismatic and confident (even if just in performance, be it professional performance or them speaking as themselves on TV etc), even if they know very little. And because of their fame they will get a chance to reveal how little they know if they want to speak on something - even if they are no less stupid on average than other people.
So you have an increased chance of hearing what an actor thinks about something if they want, and if they are simplistic or wrong about it, their confidence in spouting it will be infuriating.
Plus most of them are about the feels, rather than the facts, since it’s the nature of the job. Hence luvvies.
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless "whipping post," but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
Labour Comms are truly incompetent in so many ways.
They really are.
I don't like the ad. There's a racial discrimination angle to be seen if one so wishes but I suspect any available misunderstanding is more down to incompetence than racist unpleasantness.
There a bit of a track record of “incompetent” posters that are racist dog whistles though.
Like that MP who got disbarred or the Michael Howard/Fagin poster
No I agree the incompetence of Party Comms. people over the years seem to allow them to fall into the same bear trap year after year, but I doubt they all sit around a table and groupthink ads that can make the party appear racist. Although that probably did happen during Corbyn 's time in charge.
15 minutes to takeoff on United UA17, and I’m already getting irritated by the little microaggressions.
Like travellers joshing loudly and performatively with the cabin crew, and the fact they insist on calling the main course in menus the “Entree”.
At least there’s no expectation of 30% tips on a flight.
This entire discourse of yours, today, is one long humblebrag designed to tell us, *subtly*, that you are flying in Business
"I'm just off to the Maple Leaf Lounge to annoy Trump", "the menu says Entrees", etc
However I cannot critcise because I do this endlessly myself
Ooh someone stealing your thunder and there's a hint of petty irritation from you.
@TimS 's little narrative has been less of a "brag" and more of an observation of the moment. His reservations about transiting through the US and flying with an American carrier, offset by his supporting the Canadian transit lounge. It has been quite an interesting little story. You see it as a "brag" because that is how you roll.
No, I recognise the behaviour because I do it
However, I enjoy @TimS's travelogues - I enjoy all the PB travelogues because I am furiously interested in travel (to an almost pathological degree) - so I hope he keeps us posted on Mexico City. I really liked his musings and photos from Senegal, even if they were not *quite* enough to make me go
No, sorry Leon I am detecting just a hint of grrr. You've been upstaged (probably inadvertently).
Hmm maybe
Perhaps there was a tiny grr there. However if there was, then it was certainly not some absurd chagrin at being upstaged or whatever, it was jealousy of someone going to an interesting place, even as I am next to the Tien Shan mountains
That is to say, I am so keen on travel even as I am in Kazakhstan when I hear of someone going to Mexico (or Iceland, Namibia, Australia, Toronto, Anglesey on a boat, fuck knows - almost anything) then I get a pang of envy and I want to be doing that AS WELL
I am like the smoker described by Martin Amis who is so addicted to cigarettes even as he's smoking a cigarette he feels the desire to smoke a cigarette. Even as I travel to Kazakhstan I feel the desire to be in Mexico, Montpelier, or Malmo
It is absolutely pathological, and closely linked to my aversion to boredom, but at this late stage in life I have accepted I am not going to change
I don't find @TimS writing about relatively mundane travel to be as off topic ( for the reasons mentioned) or as tiresome as your posts and photographs of swimming with mermaids in the Lansdowne Club swimming pool, muff diving in the Indian Ocean with Somali pirate girls, eating live Pufferfish at Wheelers and shagging celebrities backwards over the altar of Cliff Richard's Barbadian church. All fascinating I'm sure but not really relevant to this site.
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
The CCP has often proved extremely incompetent.
They've done a good job making it hard for people to say so of course. And the myth gets bought.
If only they were more consistently incompetent however, that would be good.
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
David Frum @davidfrum.bsky.social · 12h Americans are going to think of Joe Biden the way post 1918 Viennese thought of Franz Josef: "maybe he was a little confused in his final days, but at least we could then have real cream in our coffee."
Why are actors held in such contempt that they merit the derisive “luvvies”? It’s hard to see what they’ve, as a group, done wrong and it’s one of the few remaining fields of endeavour that these islands remain an undisputed global leader in. Actor expresses opinion. So what?
Eloquent naivety is irritating.
(Why actors tend to have airhead views is more interesting. In theory their understanding of the human condition should be strong - perhaps it comes from not understanding the difference between anecdotes and policy).
Not all actors are airheads. I think it more that there is resentment of success in the UK.
Apart from all that I’m also jealous of the platform and the screen cred.
David Frum @davidfrum.bsky.social · 12h Americans are going to think of Joe Biden the way post 1918 Viennese thought of Franz Josef: "maybe he was a little confused in his final days, but at least we could then have real cream in our coffee."
I have little knowledge of education but great respect for @ydoethur contributions to PB and absolutely agree that Spielman should not go to the Lords
We can find terrible nominations to the Lords across the political divide and IMHO the Lords including Bishops should be scrapped and replaced with an elected second chamber with revising powers
I don't care much what they do with the second chamber except for one thing. There should only be one elected decision making body - ie the House of Commons. To have two or more such outfits sets the country against itself.
An added and increasingly obvious benefit of the position the House of Commons holds is that it is very much harder for a charismatic psychopath to take the sort of control that is occurring in the USA. The powers of a single president are of course reinforced by having a mandate. The UK mandate belongs to 650 MPs, the PM has no less and no more than being one of those. The Lords has wisdom but no mandate. Keep it that way.
I agree for the most part, but I think the long term trend will be to end up with two elected bodies. It obviously can work, and as it is 'normal' in most places the argument against is harder to make, and since politicians abuse the appointments process once the argument of democratic legitimacy exceeds political benefits of rewarding mates and those who give politicians money the apathy keeping the status quo will go.
I reiterate one of my quick and easy fixes for the Lords, which is to ban ex-MPs until 8 years or two terms has passed (whichever is longer). It's not that ex-MPs make terrible Peers necessarily, but without a gap they are too immersed in day to day partisanship for the role, or they are some old duffer kicked upstairs to convince them to stand down.
Likewise no one who makes a donation to a political party or politician should get an honour or peerage for the same length of time (this includes top union heads), to ensure there is no quid pro quo. It isn't a punishment to decide not to donate money if you want to focus on good works to earn acclaim.
I think two elected chambers, with different remits, would work. The current HoC would become an English parliament, and it, along with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish parliaments, would be elected every five years, and would deal with day to day issues, such as health, social care and education.
The Lords would be replaced by a non party chamber, elected every ten years, and be responsible for long term issues, such as infrastructure, finance and foreign policy. It would not be a repository for retired politicians and civil servants, but would select based on expertise. Therefore there would be a quota of scientists, lawyers, finance professionals, engineers, etc, as well as a quota of generalists. There would be no whips, and it would be non adversarial (sorry lawyers). It would be responsible for allocating finance to the national Parliaments, who would then allocate it to departments as they see fit.
On topic... hang on, I couldn't be arsed to read it.
Off topic... I have no idea what the message or intended of Labour's Olukemi/Nigel Paul chimera is but it looks a bit like a photo of Kemi post cerebrovascular accident so that's reason enough to be amused by it.
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
As one piece of evidence can't be found another in Gaza most definitely can. Definitve evidence has turned up to show the Israelis killed 18 Red Crescent workers when their lights were on and they were clearly marked as medics.. The Palestinians dug up the bodies a week after the Israelis had dumped them in a common grave and a mobile phone was found with irrefutable evidence.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
15 minutes to takeoff on United UA17, and I’m already getting irritated by the little microaggressions.
Like travellers joshing loudly and performatively with the cabin crew, and the fact they insist on calling the main course in menus the “Entree”.
At least there’s no expectation of 30% tips on a flight.
This entire discourse of yours, today, is one long humblebrag designed to tell us, *subtly*, that you are flying in Business
"I'm just off to the Maple Leaf Lounge to annoy Trump", "the menu says Entrees", etc
However I cannot critcise because I do this endlessly myself
Ooh someone stealing your thunder and there's a hint of petty irritation from you.
@TimS 's little narrative has been less of a "brag" and more of an observation of the moment. His reservations about transiting through the US and flying with an American carrier, offset by his supporting the Canadian transit lounge. It has been quite an interesting little story. You see it as a "brag" because that is how you roll.
No, I recognise the behaviour because I do it
However, I enjoy @TimS's travelogues - I enjoy all the PB travelogues because I am furiously interested in travel (to an almost pathological degree) - so I hope he keeps us posted on Mexico City. I really liked his musings and photos from Senegal, even if they were not *quite* enough to make me go
No, sorry Leon I am detecting just a hint of grrr. You've been upstaged (probably inadvertently).
Hmm maybe
Perhaps there was a tiny grr there. However if there was, then it was certainly not some absurd chagrin at being upstaged or whatever, it was jealousy of someone going to an interesting place, even as I am next to the Tien Shan mountains
That is to say, I am so keen on travel even as I am in Kazakhstan when I hear of someone going to Mexico (or Iceland, Namibia, Australia, Toronto, Anglesey on a boat, fuck knows - almost anything) then I get a pang of envy and I want to be doing that AS WELL
I am like the smoker described by Martin Amis who is so addicted to cigarettes even as he's smoking a cigarette he feels the desire to smoke a cigarette. Even as I travel to Kazakhstan I feel the desire to be in Mexico, Montpelier, or Malmo
It is absolutely pathological, and closely linked to my aversion to boredom, but at this late stage in life I have accepted I am not going to change
I don't find @TimS writing about relatively mundane travel to be as off topic ( for the reasons mentioned) or as tiresome as your posts and photographs of swimming with mermaids in the Lansdowne Club swimming pool, muff diving in the Indian Ocean with Somali pirate girls, eating live Pufferfish at Wheelers and shagging celebrities backwards over the altar of Cliff Richard's Barbadian church. All fascinating I'm sure but not really relevant to this site.
Er, OK
*awkwardly shuffles away from shouting person in bus stop*
15 minutes to takeoff on United UA17, and I’m already getting irritated by the little microaggressions.
Like travellers joshing loudly and performatively with the cabin crew, and the fact they insist on calling the main course in menus the “Entree”.
At least there’s no expectation of 30% tips on a flight.
Just thank the Lord you're English. It's a blessing of which we are generally unaware, except when engulfed by foreigners.
It's a glorious day in Britain. Who would want to be anywhere else when the weather is so fine, and the blossom out?
Me. Because, although it is pissing down in Almaty, Kazahstan, from the window of my modernised late-Soviet apartment in downtown I can see the extraordinary skyline of the Tien Shan mountains - they are so close they practically loom over the Opera House
And tomorrow the rain breaks and a warm sunny spell begins. Spring in the Tien Shan mountains! Imagine! The Alpine lakes, the incredible canyons, the vastness and the grandeur...
Also, Almaty unexpectedly has a real buzz and some great cafes and bars, and life is short, and I want to see EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD
I know what you mean. If I didn't have a cat I'd be gadding about like nobody's business. But as a matter of literal truth life is the very opposite of short. Life is the longest thing that anyone can ever experience. Nobody lives forever but every living soul has been alive forever. I have, you have, we all have.
Anyway, that's enough philosophy corner from me. I'm going with Three Card Brag and Hewick.
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
As one piece of evidence can't be found another in Gaza most definitely can. Definitve evidence has turned up to show the Israelis killed 18 Red Crescent workers when their lights were on and they were clearly marked as medics.. The Palestinians dug up the bodies a week after the Israelis had dumped them in a common grave and a mobile phone was found with irrefutable evidence.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
Right up to the point where the Zionist Entity no longer enjoys the unqualified protection of the US. So, a good while yet.
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
As one piece of evidence can't be found another in Gaza most definitely can. Definitve evidence has turned up to show the Israelis killed 18 Red Crescent workers when their lights were on and they were clearly marked as medics.. The Palestinians dug up the bodies a week after the Israelis had dumped them in a common grave and a mobile phone was found with irrefutable evidence.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
It is appalling. There was sequential coverage the other day on the news of the Myanmar earthquake followed by the latest Israeli atrocity in Gaza. The scenes were similar, one a natural disaster the other man-made.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
The twitter handle in the URL is uklabour. I assume that’s their account?
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
As one piece of evidence can't be found another in Gaza most definitely can. Definitve evidence has turned up to show the Israelis killed 18 Red Crescent workers when their lights were on and they were clearly marked as medics.. The Palestinians dug up the bodies a week after the Israelis had dumped them in a common grave and a mobile phone was found with irrefutable evidence.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
It is appalling. There was sequential coverage the other day on the news of the Myanmar earthquake followed by the latest Israeli atrocity in Gaza. The scenes were similar, one a natural disaster the other man-made.
Although the Myanmar regime are doing their best to add to the natural disaster by, e.g., bombing areas already hit by the earthquake, according to some reports.
15 minutes to takeoff on United UA17, and I’m already getting irritated by the little microaggressions.
Like travellers joshing loudly and performatively with the cabin crew, and the fact they insist on calling the main course in menus the “Entree”.
At least there’s no expectation of 30% tips on a flight.
This entire discourse of yours, today, is one long humblebrag designed to tell us, *subtly*, that you are flying in Business
"I'm just off to the Maple Leaf Lounge to annoy Trump", "the menu says Entrees", etc
However I cannot critcise because I do this endlessly myself
Ooh someone stealing your thunder and there's a hint of petty irritation from you.
@TimS 's little narrative has been less of a "brag" and more of an observation of the moment. His reservations about transiting through the US and flying with an American carrier, offset by his supporting the Canadian transit lounge. It has been quite an interesting little story. You see it as a "brag" because that is how you roll.
No, I recognise the behaviour because I do it
However, I enjoy @TimS's travelogues - I enjoy all the PB travelogues because I am furiously interested in travel (to an almost pathological degree) - so I hope he keeps us posted on Mexico City. I really liked his musings and photos from Senegal, even if they were not *quite* enough to make me go
No, sorry Leon I am detecting just a hint of grrr. You've been upstaged (probably inadvertently).
Hmm maybe
Perhaps there was a tiny grr there. However if there was, then it was certainly not some absurd chagrin at being upstaged or whatever, it was jealousy of someone going to an interesting place, even as I am next to the Tien Shan mountains
That is to say, I am so keen on travel even as I am in Kazakhstan when I hear of someone going to Mexico (or Iceland, Namibia, Australia, Toronto, Anglesey on a boat, fuck knows - almost anything) then I get a pang of envy and I want to be doing that AS WELL
I am like the smoker described by Martin Amis who is so addicted to cigarettes even as he's smoking a cigarette he feels the desire to smoke a cigarette. Even as I travel to Kazakhstan I feel the desire to be in Mexico, Montpelier, or Malmo
It is absolutely pathological, and closely linked to my aversion to boredom, but at this late stage in life I have accepted I am not going to change
I don't find @TimS writing about relatively mundane travel to be as off topic ( for the reasons mentioned) or as tiresome as your posts and photographs of swimming with mermaids in the Lansdowne Club swimming pool, muff diving in the Indian Ocean with Somali pirate girls, eating live Pufferfish at Wheelers and shagging celebrities backwards over the altar of Cliff Richard's Barbadian church. All fascinating I'm sure but not really relevant to this site.
Leon’s posts are only tiresome because he doesn’t just interject his travelogue into the discussion as an amusing coffee break, like everyone else does, and then rejoin the on topic conversation, but - if he doesn’t get any response - posts and reposts and reposts again about wherever he is, hoping to force the discussion around to his particular destination.
The real world equivalent is the pub bore sitting at the corner of the bar, who everyone avoids because s/he (usually he) is permanently stuck on transmit.
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless "whipping post," but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless "whipping post," but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
As a reminder, foreign direct investment into the US will cause a trade deficit.
There are many things to say about Trump’s decision to preside over a Saudi-funded golf tournament rather than attend the arrival of our soldiers’ bodies at Dover AFB. One of them is this: If a Democratic president did something similar, the GOP media would cry bloody murder. https://x.com/jaynordlinger/status/1908255235094503558
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless "whipping post," but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
As a reminder, foreign direct investment into the US will cause a trade deficit.
(See Pettis et al.)
But investment by the likes of Apple won't.
I suspect that Trump is simply fantasising. He thinks that his tariffs is going to force people to onshore their manufacturing and make America Great Again. In reality, he is playing with the US's position in the world economy and there is a serious risk that the rest of the world will disengage from them. He has overplayed his hand enormously. But he has always been prone to that.
There are many things to say about Trump’s decision to preside over a Saudi-funded golf tournament rather than attend the arrival of our soldiers’ bodies at Dover AFB. One of them is this: If a Democratic president did something similar, the GOP media would cry bloody murder. https://x.com/jaynordlinger/status/1908255235094503558
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly. We have been the dumb and helpless "whipping post," but not any longer. We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won't be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
Republican senator Ted Cruz warned of a potential “bloodbath” for his party in the 2026 midterm elections if Donald Trump’s tariffs send the US economy into recession.
The senator from Texas also predicted a “terrible” fate for the world’s largest economy should a full-blown trade war erupt and Trump’s tariffs, as well as any retaliatory measures on US goods, stay in place long-term.
Republican lawmakers have begun to worry about the effects of Trump’s tariffs on the economy and their party’s prospects for keeping control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Their concerns grew as Americans watched about $5.4tn of stock market capitalisation evaporate over a two-day Wall Street rout.
On Thursday, Republican Chuck Grassley introduced a bill in the Senate, alongside a Democrat, to reassert Congressional control of tariff policy. Under the proposed law, new levies would expire in 60 days unless approved by Congress, and there would be a mechanism for lawmakers to cancel tariffs at any point.
There are many things to say about Trump’s decision to preside over a Saudi-funded golf tournament rather than attend the arrival of our soldiers’ bodies at Dover AFB. One of them is this: If a Democratic president did something similar, the GOP media would cry bloody murder. https://x.com/jaynordlinger/status/1908255235094503558
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
Republican senator Ted Cruz warned of a potential “bloodbath” for his party in the 2026 midterm elections if Donald Trump’s tariffs send the US economy into recession.
The senator from Texas also predicted a “terrible” fate for the world’s largest economy should a full-blown trade war erupt and Trump’s tariffs, as well as any retaliatory measures on US goods, stay in place long-term.
Republican lawmakers have begun to worry about the effects of Trump’s tariffs on the economy and their party’s prospects for keeping control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Their concerns grew as Americans watched about $5.4tn of stock market capitalisation evaporate over a two-day Wall Street rout.
On Thursday, Republican Chuck Grassley introduced a bill in the Senate, alongside a Democrat, to reassert Congressional control of tariff policy. Under the proposed law, new levies would expire in 60 days unless approved by Congress, and there would be a mechanism for lawmakers to cancel tariffs at any point.
As the Usonians say - THAT horse left the barn some time ago.
Shame that horse’s ass voted in favour of the resolution that gave Trump the unilateral power over tariffs. Which can now only effectively be rescinded by a 2/3rds majority.
Cruz is not voice of reason, so much as the voice of I wouldn’t have voted for this had I known it was going to be so unpopular,
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
David Frum @davidfrum.bsky.social · 12h Americans are going to think of Joe Biden the way post 1918 Viennese thought of Franz Josef: "maybe he was a little confused in his final days, but at least we could then have real cream in our coffee."
Republican senator Ted Cruz warned of a potential “bloodbath” for his party in the 2026 midterm elections if Donald Trump’s tariffs send the US economy into recession.
The senator from Texas also predicted a “terrible” fate for the world’s largest economy should a full-blown trade war erupt and Trump’s tariffs, as well as any retaliatory measures on US goods, stay in place long-term.
Republican lawmakers have begun to worry about the effects of Trump’s tariffs on the economy and their party’s prospects for keeping control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Their concerns grew as Americans watched about $5.4tn of stock market capitalisation evaporate over a two-day Wall Street rout.
On Thursday, Republican Chuck Grassley introduced a bill in the Senate, alongside a Democrat, to reassert Congressional control of tariff policy. Under the proposed law, new levies would expire in 60 days unless approved by Congress, and there would be a mechanism for lawmakers to cancel tariffs at any point.
As the Usonians say - THAT horse left the barn some time ago.
Shame that horse’s ass voted in favour of the resolution that gave Trump the unilateral power over tariffs. Which can now only effectively be rescinded by a 2/3rds majority.
Cruz is not voice of reason, so much as the voice of I wouldn’t have voted for this had I known it was going to be so unpopular,
Even the face eating leopards may be a bit fastidious about Ted’s puss.
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
It very obvious that every effort is made to put as little effort as possible into customer service in such industries. Why would they not, it's not as though it matters to them?
At last Donald J Trump has implemented an up-to-date tariff policy designed by an AI and not relied on the witterings of a 19th century English plutocrat who failed to understand mercantalism
David Frum @davidfrum.bsky.social · 12h Americans are going to think of Joe Biden the way post 1918 Viennese thought of Franz Josef: "maybe he was a little confused in his final days, but at least we could then have real cream in our coffee."
Arranging a drink with a friend here in Kazakhstan, he's just casually told me it's really easy to get visas for Russia here, and hop over the border, even for UK citizens
Trump’s team did actually spend weeks calculating the true reciprocal tariff rates for each country, and then he just decided not to do that anymore and based it on trade deficits.
DOGE, key appointments, Russia/Ukraine, Gaza, bombing the Houthis, tariffs ... there's a theme. No strategy or prep or planning or due diligence, all on the whim of a single individual. It's no way to carry on at the best of times and it's downright scary when the individual in question is not only lazy and borderline stupid but doesn't even mean well.
The only saving grace (and it's not much) is that lazy, stupid and malign is preferable to clever, hardworking and malign.
The best feature of autocracies is that they are usually incompetent. Indeed, competent people are seen as a threat to the Leader.
China being a very very notable exception
I'm far from sure that's the case. The Chinese authorities like to *appear* competent, but the signs bubbling up from under the surface are from that. They just try to hide their incompetence better - usually by blaming other minions in the system.
The way they lied, hid and dissembled the seriousness of the Covid outbreak in early 2020, when openness was key, shows that well.
They have lifted 1 BILLION people out of poverty in 40 years, without any major social ructions. They have neutralised any threat from Islam. They have established the world's finest largest high speed rail network. Their coastal cities now rank alongside western Europe and the USA in prosperity, even if there is a vast neglected hinterland. Their universities are shooting up the rankings, their companies are some of the most successful in the world, and the biggest. They have stealthily taken Hong Kong without a shot being fired and there is a reasonable chance they will do the same with Taiwan
They have surged to pre-eminence in world trade. They have cleverly undermined the West, in all ways, throughout this, avoiding our wars while stoking discord and rancour within our societies. Do we ever see Muslim countries/groups condemn China, even though China has a FAR worse record on Muslim rights? No, we do not. They condemn the West, because we are perceived as weak, guilty and divided
They have conjured the world's biggest navy, from nothing. They are dominant in Africa and most of Asia. They are turning Russia into a vassal state. And now they are on the cusp of overtaking the West in the foremost technologies of the time. DeepSeek did not come from nowhere. Do a DeepSeek search on "Unitree"
Is their regime perfect? Of course not. Covid was a clusterfuck. And came from their lab. Their demographics are dismal - but this is a worldwide problem that no one has solved. There are many dissenting voices that would love to overthrow Xi and his appalling cronies. The Chinese elite is cruel, brutal and greedy
But, basically competent? Yes, absolutely. What else would you have them do?! They have shown that autocracy can REALLY work, which is why democracy is in brisk retreat as so many developing countries now ape the Chinese model rather than the West
*Might* have come from their lab. We don't know and possibly never will - which would be a shame given the stature of the pandemic as a world event. Still, there are precedents for the cause of huge happenings in history remaining uncertain. And maybe it's no bad thing, come to think of it. Life shouldn't be stripped of all its mystery.
At this point, anyone who still maintains there's a good chance it came from the market and not the lab is a flailing idiot who can't handle information
"'The French Academy of Medicine voted almost unanimously--97% to 3%--to say we believe SARS-CoV-2 originated from a lab error and precautions must be taken in the future,' revealed Professor Jean-François Delfraissy in a press conference April 2, 2025."
And they merit respect, the French Academy of Medicine. Plenty of serious opinion (in addition to yours) does favour lab leak. Plenty also favours market. And there's a third strand (and here I include myself) which takes the view that there's no clinching evidence either way. I hope it does get resolved one day. I guess we can agree on that at least.
At this point anyone who thinks this is "kinda 50/50" or "we can't really know, so why bother" is so dumb it's not worth engaging. So I am happy to yield. Believe what you like, if it consoles you
You have the "belief" on this one and belief by its nature cannot be reasoned with. So, yes, it is futile to engage on it, but it's ok because I don't think what we've done here so far counts as that. If we stop now (which I sense we have?) we can agree we haven't engaged today on lab leak vs wet market and how there isn't (as yet) any clinching evidence either way.
As one piece of evidence can't be found another in Gaza most definitely can. Definitve evidence has turned up to show the Israelis killed 18 Red Crescent workers when their lights were on and they were clearly marked as medics.. The Palestinians dug up the bodies a week after the Israelis had dumped them in a common grave and a mobile phone was found with irrefutable evidence.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
Fear not, the IDF is investigating and they’re almost bound to find that the medics and their vehicles were proceeding in a Hamas manner and their flashing lights were a threat to Israeli troops.
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
AI chatbots and all that crap are accelerating that.
Humans want to talk to a human who treats them like a human.
People are very keen to take advantage of the benefits of AI to cut costs and improve productivity, and that will happen, but plenty are too keen on the idea to see a) we're not there yet in many cases, so it's shit, or b) people currently still want a human alternative.
Or we're being trained out of expecting that. Like saying there's no demand for a service that is not being offered, so of course it shouldn't be reoffered.
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
It very obvious that every effort is made to put as little effort as possible into customer service in such industries. Why would they not, it's not as though it matters to them?
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
AI chatbots and all that crap are accelerating that.
Humans want to talk to a human who treats them like a human.
People are very keen to take advantage of the benefits of AI to cut costs and improve productivity, and that will happen, but plenty are too keen on the idea to see a) we're not there yet in many cases, so it's shit, or b) people currently still want a human alternative.
Or we're being trained out of expecting that. Like saying there's no demand for a service that is not being offered, so of course it shouldn't be reoffered.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
Arranging a drink with a friend here in Kazakhstan, he's just casually told me it's really easy to get visas for Russia here, and hop over the border, even for UK citizens
The temptation!
Do you what you must, but if you end up being thrown into a Siberian gulag don't expect PB to crowdfund for your release! 😂
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
I still can't believe they let the Kemi/Farage face-swap image see the light of social media day. It is APPALLING. Even as a basic image it is ugly and yuk. You really don't want that associated with your party. And there are so many other levels on which it fails....
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
Here's a challenge for Y Doethur (or anyone else, willing to look at numbers): Which state, California or Texas, has better public schools? (The "Nation's Report Card" is here: https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ )
Is that what you would expect, given the demographics do the two states?
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
I still can't believe they let the Kemi/Farage face-swap image see the light of social media day. It is APPALLING. Even as a basic image it is ugly and yuk. You really don't want that associated with your party. And there are so many other levels on which it fails....
I see two explanations:
1. Sabotage
2. They are truly desperate
Good afternoon
Just seen this and it is simply disgusting and what on earth is Labour doing allowing such an unacceptable advert
It should be withdrawn immediately and I wouldn't be surprised if an official complaint is made
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 21m Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
Yes. The relevance of this to government and politics is simple and important. Huge chunks of life (health, education, welfare, transport infrastructure, planning, utilities, civil admin etc) are either direct state responsibilities, or closely regulated responsibilities. Taxes pay for all this. The public wants the state to ensure the competent running of all the things that it has taken responsibilitty for. Just like Tesco do in their department.
The task is of course huge - but the state has decided to control and run about half of all activity and is at liberty to charge us whatever they like through taxes. It should do its part of the deal.
This is massively more important than novel ideas, fresh initiatives and the concept of change. Just ordinary everyday competence will do fine.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
Fully agree. Public libraries are absolutely a good thing and one of those last bastions of community, curation and not being advert fodder. I'm not surprised that Team Musk has gone for them, because he's basically the polar opposite. But yes, evil.
(Our local branch library has just closed, because Havering is broke. But at least the alternative is nearby.)
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
This is also a cancelling of congressional funds which is a total usurp of power by executive etc.
One day I hope this gang will be held properly accountable by the law.
This won’t be the last declaration of force majeure.
Aircraft supplier Howmet may halt orders if hit by Trump tariffs, letter says
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-supplier-howmet-may-halt-orders-if-hit-by-trump-tariffs-letter-says-2025-04-04/ Howmet Aerospace, which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing, may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances…
This won’t be the last declaration of force majeure.
Aircraft supplier Howmet may halt orders if hit by Trump tariffs, letter says
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-supplier-howmet-may-halt-orders-if-hit-by-trump-tariffs-letter-says-2025-04-04/ Howmet Aerospace, which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing, may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances…
Supplies most aerospace manufacturers in the US.
Trump might like the idea of his policies being compared to an act of god.
One or two here and there is not huge in the grand scheme of things, but they do have to be careful to avoid causing people to ponder how many of the unsuspended have suspendable worthy views. As things stand they are on course for a good result, they just need to avoid tripping up.
This won’t be the last declaration of force majeure.
Aircraft supplier Howmet may halt orders if hit by Trump tariffs, letter says
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-supplier-howmet-may-halt-orders-if-hit-by-trump-tariffs-letter-says-2025-04-04/ Howmet Aerospace, which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing, may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances…
Supplies most aerospace manufacturers in the US.
Trump might like the idea of his policies being compared to an act of god.
No question that he would. That he can do things on a whim to cause fear or love must be a powerful feeling.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
I think the classic dystopian fear would be that not only will we stop thinking for ourselves, we'll forget that we ever could.
If Chinese AIs in particular win out then the curated knowledge permissable for people to view will be, er, interesting.
One or two here and there is not huge in the grand scheme of things, but they do have to be careful to avoid causing people to ponder how many of the unsuspended have suspendable worthy views. As things stand they are on course for a good result, they just need to avoid tripping up.
I like the capitalisation of ANOTHER - like there is a tsu-fucking-nami of Reform candidates turning out to be secret Gestapo members. I have not heard of any others
The tweet is from the "political correspondent for the Sunday Mirror" - which is like being the "official scientific advisor to the Late Paul Daniels"
One or two here and there is not huge in the grand scheme of things, but they do have to be careful to avoid causing people to ponder how many of the unsuspended have suspendable worthy views. As things stand they are on course for a good result, they just need to avoid tripping up.
Hmmm.... I don't disagree with you, but I don't think they wil get the result which either they or some commentators are expecting. This is because 1) the other parties, quite rightly, are going to go hard on Farage as "Britain Trump" and his lack of support for Ukraine, and 2) winning elections on the ground is difficult and time-consuming, RefUK's membership and activists seem to be mainly elderly and inexperienced. The Air War and national media can get them only so far - after that it needs feet on the ground, organisation and lots of non-gender specific man-hours.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
You control what you see online....if you aren't capable of that then its a you problem not an us problem
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
I still can't believe they let the Kemi/Farage face-swap image see the light of social media day. It is APPALLING. Even as a basic image it is ugly and yuk. You really don't want that associated with your party. And there are so many other levels on which it fails....
I see two explanations:
1. Sabotage
2. They are truly desperate
Good afternoon
Just seen this and it is simply disgusting and what on earth is Labour doing allowing such an unacceptable advert
It should be withdrawn immediately and I wouldn't be surprised if an official complaint is made
Indeed.
Pause.
Talking about unacceptable, here's an article pointing out that Badenoch received donations from climate change deniers before changing Conservative Party policy on net-zero
Quite a brave image to go with from Labour in the era of blackface cancellations. It’s not blackface, but is in the ball park I think, especially as it’s only half the face that isn’t Farage, the clothes are his
If that’s a genuine Labour campaign initiative, they need to fire the person responsible for it, consign it to the bin, and try and move on as soon as they can.
It's got to be fake. Apart from the impossibility of executing the idea. The idea itself makes no sense
It is genuine. Of course it might be sabotage from within, but it is from the official Labour account on X
I still can't believe they let the Kemi/Farage face-swap image see the light of social media day. It is APPALLING. Even as a basic image it is ugly and yuk. You really don't want that associated with your party. And there are so many other levels on which it fails....
I see two explanations:
1. Sabotage
2. They are truly desperate
Good afternoon
Just seen this and it is simply disgusting and what on earth is Labour doing allowing such an unacceptable advert
It should be withdrawn immediately and I wouldn't be surprised if an official complaint is made
Indeed.
Pause.
Talking about unacceptable, here's an article pointing out that Badenoch received donations from climate change deniers before changing Conservative Party policy on net-zero
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
You control what you see online....if you aren't capable of that then its a you problem not an us problem
Is that right? If I make requests to a Chinese website for information about Tiananmin Square, I get fobbed off. I can't control what I cannot access. To take another example, I have just asked CoPilot for the last German election results, and it tells me "I know elections are important to talk about, and I wish we could, but there's a lot of nuanced information that I'm not equipped to handle right now. It's best that I step aside on this one and suggest that you visit a trusted source. How about another topic instead?"
One or two here and there is not huge in the grand scheme of things, but they do have to be careful to avoid causing people to ponder how many of the unsuspended have suspendable worthy views. As things stand they are on course for a good result, they just need to avoid tripping up.
I like the capitalisation of ANOTHER - like there is a tsu-fucking-nami of Reform candidates turning out to be secret Gestapo members. I have not heard of any others
The tweet is from the "political correspondent for the Sunday Mirror" - which is like being the "official scientific advisor to the Late Paul Daniels"
There was ANOTHER, rather entertaining one earlier in the week. A chap who tweeted most favourably about Jimmy Savile as an innocent 'working class hero', but forgot to mention to Reform that he had an X account.
I suspect he joined Reform as he misinterpreted their current "Reform will fix it" slogan as an homage to Jimmy.
Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?
Sash! This used to be a library.
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?
You control what you see online....if you aren't capable of that then its a you problem not an us problem
Is that right? If I make requests to a Chinese website for information about Tiananmin Square, I get fobbed off. I can't control what I cannot access. To take another example, I have just asked CoPilot for the last German election results, and it tells me "I know elections are important to talk about, and I wish we could, but there's a lot of nuanced information that I'm not equipped to handle right now. It's best that I step aside on this one and suggest that you visit a trusted source. How about another topic instead?"
No information, and no control.
Well there you see is your issue, you seem to think you should only have to goto one place instead of visiting multiple sources and comparing them.
Let me reverse it....who do you trust to curate your information if not yourself. Yes that means you need to work at it and just not take 1 source as gospel.....guess what you can't do that with a library book either as they are often equally full of misinformation
Comments
Hence luvvies.
If only they were more consistently incompetent however, that would be good.
Other than to wonder how he fucked up the inevitable retirement quite so badly.
Notice whose name doesn’t appear here.
Net Favorables:
Trump: -7%
Vance: -8%
Hegseth: -14%
Musk: -18%
Waltz: -20%
Ipsos / April 2, 2025 / n=1486
https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/1908200142185828731
The Lords would be replaced by a non party chamber, elected every ten years, and be responsible for long term issues, such as infrastructure, finance and foreign policy. It would not be a repository for retired politicians and civil servants, but would select based on expertise. Therefore there would be a quota of scientists, lawyers, finance professionals, engineers, etc, as well as a quota of generalists. There would be no whips, and it would be non adversarial (sorry lawyers). It would be responsible for allocating finance to the national Parliaments, who would then allocate it to departments as they see fit.
Off topic... I have no idea what the message or intended of Labour's Olukemi/Nigel Paul chimera is but it looks a bit like a photo of Kemi post cerebrovascular accident so that's reason enough to be amused by it.
How long is the world going to allow this rogue nation to continue to behave illegally and like savages?
*awkwardly shuffles away from shouting person in bus stop*
Anyway, that's enough philosophy corner from me. I'm going with Three Card Brag and Hewick.
Might I might back Suella too. Just for laughs.
I just sat down in a church, on an old railway bench from Elsbridge Station.
Which is notable because of both the station, and the church.
Never mind. Sometimes my mind just fills in the gaps!
The real world equivalent is the pub bore sitting at the corner of the bar, who everyone avoids because s/he (usually he) is permanently stuck on transmit.
What division are Minor County West in, in comparison?
(See Pettis et al.)
https://x.com/jaynordlinger/status/1908255235094503558
I suspect that Trump is simply fantasising. He thinks that his tariffs is going to force people to onshore their manufacturing and make America Great Again. In reality, he is playing with the US's position in the world economy and there is a serious risk that the rest of the world will disengage from them. He has overplayed his hand enormously. But he has always been prone to that.
CNN put together a collection of clips of Trump complaining about Democratic presidents playing golf
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1908340222926217566
Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social
·
21m
Talk to people in focus groups about Broken Britain yes they mention the big stuff, struggling NHS, the cost of living but also how the state or private utilities seem to go out of their way to make life harder “you can’t speak to anyone” - that drives populist backlash and the appeal of chainsaws
https://bsky.app/profile/luketryl.bsky.social/post/3lm34m376y22z
Cruz is not voice of reason, so much as the voice of I wouldn’t have voted for this had I known it was going to be so unpopular,
He has to advise a third party of his route in case he gets lifted and renditioned to El Salvador, so we can find him again.
TSA - Take them to South America.
(Yes, I know about the location of El Salvador, but this is in the USA.)
Humans want to talk to a human who treats them like a human.
We need PtP.
The temptation!
Mind you, me trying to do it would almost certainly raise red flags and change the odds - even with a time machine.
Or we're being trained out of expecting that. Like saying there's no demand for a service that is not being offered, so of course it shouldn't be reoffered.
Anyone else?
Octopus not bad.
It's not hard.
This is a little better less worse, but I think they'd be better promoting their own policy successes (!)
:
https://x.com/UKLabour/status/1908482499401179434
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
More here: https://www.everylibrary.org/trump_termination_imls_grants
SOURCE: https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3llwdagmsh225
I see two explanations:
1. Sabotage
2. They are truly desperate
Good shout @TSE
They lost the court case over sending a random guy to El Salvador.
Their response is "so what?"
Is that what you would expect, given the demographics do the two states?
Just seen this and it is simply disgusting and what on earth is Labour doing allowing such an unacceptable advert
It should be withdrawn immediately and I wouldn't be surprised if an official complaint is made
The task is of course huge - but the state has decided to control and run about half of all activity and is at liberty to charge us whatever they like through taxes. It should do its part of the deal.
This is massively more important than novel ideas, fresh initiatives and the concept of change. Just ordinary everyday competence will do fine.
(Our local branch library has just closed, because Havering is broke. But at least the alternative is nearby.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesehead
One day I hope this gang will be held properly accountable by the law.
STORY
Reform UK forced to suspend ANOTHER candidate
https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/1908549080319504485
Aircraft supplier Howmet may halt orders if hit by Trump tariffs, letter says
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-supplier-howmet-may-halt-orders-if-hit-by-trump-tariffs-letter-says-2025-04-04/
Howmet Aerospace, which supplies parts for planes built by Airbus and Boeing, may halt some shipments if they are impacted by tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Pittsburgh-based Howmet said in the letter to customers that it has declared a force majeure event, a legal practice that allows parties to a contract to avoid their obligations if hit by unavoidable and unpredictable external circumstances…
Supplies most aerospace manufacturers in the US.
I do hope your shopping isn't too heavy.
It's part of the North West Coastal Path. @JosiasJessop may have walked parts of it.
If Chinese AIs in particular win out then the curated knowledge permissable for people to view will be, er, interesting.
The tweet is from the "political correspondent for the Sunday Mirror" - which is like being the "official scientific advisor to the Late Paul Daniels"
Pause.
Talking about unacceptable, here's an article pointing out that Badenoch received donations from climate change deniers before changing Conservative Party policy on net-zero
https://bsky.app/profile/adambienkov.bsky.social/post/3lknchnx4f22b
We have far too many politicians in all parties who can be bought.
No information, and no control.
I suspect he joined Reform as he misinterpreted their current "Reform will fix it" slogan as an homage to Jimmy.
Let me reverse it....who do you trust to curate your information if not yourself. Yes that means you need to work at it and just not take 1 source as gospel.....guess what you can't do that with a library book either as they are often equally full of misinformation