Mr. Eagles, it sounds like they were really overdoing both the release schedule (although Marvel manages to make it work, but that's with the comicbook back catalogue to draw on) and the PC nonsense that's riled some fans.
Currently, I'm glad I've not seen a Star Wars film since Rogue One.
You’ve not watched The Last Jedi?
Honestly that’s the finest Star Wars film since Empire.
Mr. Eagles, interesting. I decided to watch a review of it, which gave it, I think 2/10. It sounded quite irksome and unsatisfactory. Anyway, once it comes to TV I shall watch just to see if it is that bad, but have no regrets about not seeing (and paying for) it at the cinema.
Seems to me that if you are a normal person then Solo is fine enough as an adventure, thriller film.
If you are a looney tunes Star Wars franchise nut who probably dresses up at weekends as Han Solo and hence your distress at this particular portrayal of him, then you hate it.
Delayed from yesterday here is Wednesday's Tesco Strawberry score:
Fife Perthshire Nottinghamshire Staffordshire Cambridgeshire Norfolk Herefordshire Surrey Kent
The nine being an increase in one from Tuesday with the only change being the addition of Norfolk.
As mentioned before, I fear that whilst your count is accurate, I have some scepticism about whether the data on the labels is accurate. It's not as though supermarkets have not recently been caught out cheating on labels ...
Did you even read the 2017 manifesto which promised a strong and stable government for a smooth and orderly Brexit? 18 strong and stables and six smooth and orderlies, iirc.
I’m repressing the 2017 Tory manifesto.
It was the main reason Mrs May lost Dave’s majority, against Corbyn FFS.
No it isn't. Crosby's duff campaign was the problem. Lock the Cabinet away and rely on Theresa May mindlessly parroting strong and stable to hand-picked audiences, and personal abuse of the Labour leader: what could go wrong?
Technically the only fighting we would ever now be doing on our own is to defend the Falklands or Gibraltar
Fck me, that escalated quickly. Presumably in that scenario the EU (-1) would unequivocally back Spain.
HYUFD is wrong. Our military will be fully engaged in trying to restore order after UDI in Northern Ireland.
We won’t have the resources to fight in either Gibraltar or The Malvinas.
No the loyalist paramilitaries would be doing that mainly but we could probably beat the Republic of Ireland, Spain and Argentina combined if necessary, all 3 have much weaker armed forces than the UK does though the chances of that being needed are near 0
yeah but who would win: UK, RoI, Spain and Argentina vs a bear?
Solo has been such a disaster that all other Star Wars spin off films have been put on an indefinite hold.
Solo was a perfectly fine movie
Which movie did you watch?!
They completely ruined the character.
Nonsense, I thought he captured the character very well, same with Lando. Might have started a little slow, but it hit it's stride well in the second act. Not Rouge One, but a perfectly fine movie.
The Last Jedi on the other hand was appalling, close to a franchise killer
Mr. Topping, so if those who support a franchise feel they've been treated with contempt, that is not necessarily going to encourage them to keep supporting it. It's also profoundly ungrateful to take people for granted (as political parties sometimes do).
Did you even read the 2017 manifesto which promised a strong and stable government for a smooth and orderly Brexit? 18 strong and stables and six smooth and orderlies, iirc.
I’m repressing the 2017 Tory manifesto.
It was the main reason Mrs May lost Dave’s majority, against Corbyn FFS.
No it isn't. Crosby's duff campaign was the problem. Lock the Cabinet away and rely on Theresa May mindlessly parroting strong and stable to hand-picked audiences, and personal abuse of the Labour leader: what could go wrong?
Nick Timothy has popped up again to tell people it wasn’t his fault.
Mr. Topping, so if those who support a franchise feel they've been treated with contempt, that is not necessarily going to encourage them to keep supporting it. It's also profoundly ungrateful to take people for granted (as political parties sometimes do).
Yes and I'm sure the moment people were told that Santa Claus doesn't exist was equally traumatic.
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Solo has been such a disaster that all other Star Wars spin off films have been put on an indefinite hold.
Solo was a perfectly fine movie
Which movie did you watch?!
They completely ruined the character.
Nonsense, I thought he captured the character very well, same with Lando. Might have started a little slow, but it hit it's stride well in the second act. Not Rouge One, but a perfectly fine movie.
The Last Jedi on the other hand was appalling, close to a franchise killer
Rubbish, the Last Jedi was brilliant, the best Star Wars film since the Empire Strikes Back and a huge box office hit and hit with the critics unlike the flop that has been Solo. I fell asleep in Rogue One
I note from the Podcast that the proportion of the population who are pot-heads has been declining significantly over the past two decades.
Decriminalisation to boost demand?
And does this explain the drop in support for the LibDems?
O.K., being serious, I was surprised to hear that stat. It sounds like a *good thing* and anything we might do as a society to disrupt that downward trend sounds like a bad idea.
Overall, it would appear that Millennials are a cleaner living bunch than us older reprobates. Possibly the only upside from student fees. (That sounds like the subject matter for a thesis.)
Very strong borrowing figures, revising down last year by £1bn and this year (Just April) by £1 meaning debt falling significantly as a % of GDP. Also some chunky revisions.to previous years, e.g. 2014/15 down £1bn.
2017/8 now under the £40bn mark, meeting GO's 2016 budget forecast (prereferendum) and 2018/19 could now easily be £30bn, meaning a surplus much sooner than expected. Or rather more.money for the NHS
I note from the Podcast that the proportion of the population who are pot-heads has been declining significantly over the past two decades.
Decriminalisation to boost demand?
And does this explain the drop in support for the LibDems?
O.K., being serious, I was surprised to hear that stat. It sounds like a *good thing* and anything we might do as a society to disrupt that downward trend sounds like a bad idea.
Overall, it would appear that Millennials are a cleaner living bunch than us older reprobates. Possibly the only upside from student fees. (That sounds like the subject matter for a thesis.)
I'm not convinced decriminalisation would make things worse - particularly if coupled with a strong enough regulatory regime (similar to tobacco, but tougher).
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Fans' demand more films than seems is sustainable and then are disappointed when the studio tries to assuage that demand. In particular, they are disappointed when the films, which in their obsessed minds should follow a certain ideal path, fail to follow that path.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
I note from the Podcast that the proportion of the population who are pot-heads has been declining significantly over the past two decades.
Decriminalisation to boost demand?
And does this explain the drop in support for the LibDems?
O.K., being serious, I was surprised to hear that stat. It sounds like a *good thing* and anything we might do as a society to disrupt that downward trend sounds like a bad idea.
Overall, it would appear that Millennials are a cleaner living bunch than us older reprobates. Possibly the only upside from student fees. (That sounds like the subject matter for a thesis.)
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
It’s basically in the UKs national interest to have close alignment on goods and freedom on services.
Therefore, that’s what I expect May to go for.
The big one is freedom of movement.
Which of course is non negotiable, especially given the 200 vote Commons majority to leave the single market leaving free movement in place unchecked is a non starter
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Fans' demand more films than seems is sustainable and then are disappointed when the studio tries to assuage that demand. In particular, they are disappointed when the films, which in their obsessed minds should follow a certain ideal path, fail to follow that path.
The PSF figures don't make any kind of sense. There is nominal tax growth of around 4.5% YoY, inflation is running at 2.6%. The growth in government tax receipts is not consistent with stated GDP growth, especially given the lack of tax rises (and in some cases falling tax rates).
There is a disconnect, the deficit can't be falling as rapidly as it is if the economy saw just 1.2% YoY growth.
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Fans' demand more films than seems is sustainable and then are disappointed when the studio tries to assuage that demand. In particular, they are disappointed when the films, which in their obsessed minds should follow a certain ideal path, fail to follow that path.
I haven't seen Solo, but broadly agree with the fan consensus that TFA and Rogue One were great and TLJ was a disappointment. I don't think 65% approval shows obsession.
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Fans' demand more films than seems is sustainable and then are disappointed when the studio tries to assuage that demand. In particular, they are disappointed when the films, which in their obsessed minds should follow a certain ideal path, fail to follow that path.
It seems to happen quite a lot with varying degrees of success. It seems that in this particular instance, Solo, the makers pushed their luck too far.
But the broader point is that now that the inviolability of the Franchise has been shattered, maybe fans won't put up with endless rehashes around the same theme with minor amendments each time.
Same with Marvel which has some way to go I think. Same with Harry Potter, for that matter.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
The US consumer is enjoying cheap goods from around the world paid for by magic money-tree dollars. That sounds like a good deal for the US consumer to me.
Trump wants to reverse that so that the US consumer (and manufacturers) pay much more. That looks fair and reasonable to me. But there will be high inflation, a big hike in US interest rates and falling real incomes. That's what holding all the cards means. Good luck with that.
Mr. Topping, trolling? Otherwise that analogy is utterly flawed.
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
Fans' demand more films than seems is sustainable and then are disappointed when the studio tries to assuage that demand. In particular, they are disappointed when the films, which in their obsessed minds should follow a certain ideal path, fail to follow that path.
It seems to happen quite a lot with varying degrees of success. It seems that in this particular instance, Solo, the makers pushed their luck too far.
But the broader point is that now that the inviolability of the Franchise has been shattered, maybe fans won't put up with endless rehashes around the same theme with minor amendments each time.
Same with Marvel which has some way to go I think. Same with Harry Potter, for that matter.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Cleaning chip fat stains off the seats of No. 27 Squadron Chinooks two nights a week IS a commitment.
I note from the Podcast that the proportion of the population who are pot-heads has been declining significantly over the past two decades.
Decriminalisation to boost demand?
And does this explain the drop in support for the LibDems?
O.K., being serious, I was surprised to hear that stat. It sounds like a *good thing* and anything we might do as a society to disrupt that downward trend sounds like a bad idea.
Overall, it would appear that Millennials are a cleaner living bunch than us older reprobates. Possibly the only upside from student fees. (That sounds like the subject matter for a thesis.)
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
It's more a broader level of responsibility and shows up in drug use, binge drinking, school attendance, and sleeping around statistics. My personal theory is that it's an effect of immigration from more conservative parts of the world shaping the broader generational culture.
It’s basically in the UKs national interest to have close alignment on goods and freedom on services.
Therefore, that’s what I expect May to go for.
The big one is freedom of movement.
Yes, one theory I have (although it’s a complex one) is that the EU will kick the UK out of stuff that doesn’t really matter (or it could happily do itself or with others) as the “price” for opting out of freedom of movement, like the EAW or Galileo.
Meanwhile, on the stuff that really matters (basically the free flow of goods and supply chains across Europe) it won’t be an issue at all.
It’s a question of how much you think this is well choreographed panto v. strategic obstinacy, political cock-ups and meaningful disagreement.
I think it’s a bit of both, but i think there’s a lot more in the bag than not.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Ah, I see - you wanted to have a dig.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
You are the one that is not being serious. What exactly do you think is required of a national defence force? Turning up for an evening or two a week, and then what?
The US consumer is enjoying cheap goods from around the world paid for by magic money-tree dollars. That sounds like a good deal for the US consumer to me.
Trump wants to reverse that so that the US consumer (and manufacturers) pay much more. That looks fair and reasonable to me. But there will be high inflation, a big hike in US interest rates and falling real incomes. That's what holding all the cards means. Good luck with that.
It won't happen because of Trump's massive tax cut. He's too stupid to realise that if the government takes out a massive loan and gives the money out to its citizens, they will spend it on a level of consumption that's beyond what their economy can produce.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Ah, I see - you wanted to have a dig.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
You are the one that is not being serious. What exactly do you think is required of a national defence force? Turning up for an evening or two a week, and then what?
There is a vast amount of skill and expertise in the private sector on things like project management, contract and commercial management, problem solving and analysis, and logistics management. There’s a large pool of people the armed forces could draw upon here, at low cost, but it needs to be much more flexible in how and when you can engage, whilst of course agreeing to commit yourself more fully in times of crisis.
Incidentally, this isn’t just my experience. One of my closest friends (who used to be in the university air squadron, and a private pilot) found the whole process so convulted and bureaucratic, with the nearest base over 100 miles away from his home, that he gave up.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Ah, I see - you wanted to have a dig.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
You are the one that is not being serious. What exactly do you think is required of a national defence force? Turning up for an evening or two a week, and then what?
There is a vast amount of skill and expertise in the private sector on things like project management, contract and commercial management, problem solving and analysis, and logistics management. There’s a large pool of people the armed forces could draw upon here, at low cost, but it needs to be much more flexible in how and when you can engage, whilst of course agreeing to commit yourself more fully in times of crisis.
Incidentally, this isn’t just my experience. One of my closest friends (who used to be in the university air squadron, and a private pilot) found the whole process so convulted and bureaucratic, with the nearest base over 100 miles away from his home, that he gave up.
Exactly. It's not for everyone. If he gave up, and it sounds like he gave it a go, I'd rate the chances of a guy making claims on an internet forum doing or staying at it at close to zero. Perhaps actually zero.
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
Insurance costs have killed that particular aspect of youth culture. I remember going into massive debt to get a Mk.2 GTI 16v in the early 90s and then flipping it over on Anglesey within a month of getting it. My mate smashed his front teeth out. What larks. The youth of today don't know what they're missing.
The US consumer is enjoying cheap goods from around the world paid for by magic money-tree dollars. That sounds like a good deal for the US consumer to me.
Trump wants to reverse that so that the US consumer (and manufacturers) pay much more. That looks fair and reasonable to me. But there will be high inflation, a big hike in US interest rates and falling real incomes. That's what holding all the cards means. Good luck with that.
It won't happen because of Trump's massive tax cut. He's too stupid to realise that if the government takes out a massive loan and gives the money out to its citizens, they will spend it on a level of consumption that's beyond what their economy can produce.
Yes. An overheated economy will also drive high inflation on top of the increased import costs. So there will be much higher interest rates and a much stronger dollar making imports even more expensive. Trump might close the trade gap but at a very high cost to the US consumer. I don't know what the lead times are on this and whether it will show by November.
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
Insurance costs have killed that particular aspect of youth culture. I remember going into massive debt to get a Mk.2 GTI 16v in the early 90s and then flipping it over on Anglesey within a month of getting it. My mate smashed his front teeth out. What larks. The youth of today don't know what they're missing.
Spending a fortune on dentistry by the sound of it.
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
Insurance costs have killed that particular aspect of youth culture. I remember going into massive debt to get a Mk.2 GTI 16v in the early 90s and then flipping it over on Anglesey within a month of getting it. My mate smashed his front teeth out. What larks. The youth of today don't know what they're missing.
Spending a fortune on dentistry by the sound of it.
He got the finest dental treatment the RAF could provide (I was on exchange as a QFI at Valley at the time) and consequently had a teeth like a mouthful of broken glass. No harm done as he ended up on on the Tucano for about 10 years and therefore had no reason to smile.
Solo has been such a disaster that all other Star Wars spin off films have been put on an indefinite hold.
Solo was a perfectly fine movie
Which movie did you watch?!
They completely ruined the character.
Nonsense, I thought he captured the character very well, same with Lando. Might have started a little slow, but it hit it's stride well in the second act. Not Rouge One, but a perfectly fine movie.
The Last Jedi on the other hand was appalling, close to a franchise killer
Rubbish, the Last Jedi was brilliant, the best Star Wars film since the Empire Strikes Back and a huge box office hit and hit with the critics unlike the flop that has been Solo. I fell asleep in Rogue One
Agreed that The Last Jedi is unfairly castigated – I throughly enjoyed it. Also agree that Rogue One is vastly overrated – the first half of the picture is plain dull.
Mr. Meeks, indeed. I'm also (mildly) surprised Lisa Nandy's PMQs/e-mail story didn't get any national coverage (it did make the Look North local news).
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We Row forthwith!
I .
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Ah, I see - you wanted to have a dig.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
You are the one that is not being serious. What exactly do you think is required of a national defence force? Turning up for an evening or two a week, and then what?
Te gave up.
Exactly. It's not for everyone. If he gave up, and it sounds like he gave it a go, I'd rate the chances of a guy making claims on an internet forum doing or staying at it at close to zero. Perhaps actually zero.
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Other than it not making sense, the PSF figures are extremely good. At the current rate of consolidation we should see borrowing drop by another £10-12bn, bringing it to around £28bn for the year, or around 1.4% of GDP.
I expect the November budget to target around £33-35bn in terms of the deficit and the additional money to be earmarked for the first stage of the NHS budget increase. The next stage will be done via fiscal drag and possibly reintroducing NICs for retired people (NICs are dropping while income tax is rising much faster than inflation), the final stage will be the controversial "Brexit dividend" in 2022. There will be £10bn in the budget to spend after we leave, that money exists, whether it should be spent on the NHS is another matter, it definitely exists.
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Others can decide what they think themselves.
The point is, like I'm sure many people who are doing well in their job, you want to "give something back" to the nation and, looking around at potential options, you thought: the army - they can use my skills.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
I'd add boy racers to this. You don't see so many souped up hatchbacks these days, presumably because it's so expensive.
Insurance costs have killed that particular aspect of youth culture. I remember going into massive debt to get a Mk.2 GTI 16v in the early 90s and then flipping it over on Anglesey within a month of getting it. My mate smashed his front teeth out. What larks. The youth of today don't know what they're missing.
Not just that - the amount of traffic compared to 25 years ago makes driving a great deal less fun, so it's barely worthwhile even if you could afford the insurance.
(I still regret having to sell my Caterham to buy my first kitchen...)
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Others can decide what they think themselves.
The point is, like I'm sure many people who are doing well in their job, you want to "give something back" to the nation and, looking around at potential options, you thought: the army - they can use my skills.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
You have questioned my integrity this morning and basically called me a liar. You have now resorted to swearing.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
You're going to need to up your banter game if you do end up doing anything in the military.
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Others can decide what they think themselves.
The point is, like I'm sure many people who are doing well in their job, you want to "give something back" to the nation and, looking around at potential options, you thought: the army - they can use my skills.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
You have questioned my integrity this morning and basically called me a liar. You have now resorted to swearing.
This discussion is over.
LOL surely the Cicero of our day.
Oh and Edit: I didn't call you a liar I just pointed out the difference between your misguided desire to "do something" and the reality of what that might entail. I then noted that it was hugely unlikely that anything would come to pass from that stated desire.
I'm with the general Brexit means Brexit. Let's leave and get on with the process.
The cost of building our own fighters/tanks/helicopters is prohibitive. There simply would not be long enough production lines. We either find other countries to work with or we buy American and say goodbye to a lot of skilled jobs.
I’m much more worried about the reported remarks of May to Williamson in the FT today.
I'm more worried that there are people in the MoD who think we are still a global military player!
We are, and rightly so.
I’m very angry about that FT article this morning, and will be writing to my MP later today who, thankfully, is in the cabinet.
Weren't you going to join up not so long ago? Now more than ever, your country needs you. Get along to Rochester Row forthwith!
I would volunteer part-time for territorial work.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Just one or two evenings a week; you mean like a canasta evening? Call yourself a patriot? Where's your commitment, man? What price do you put on the defence of your country?
Ah, I see - you wanted to have a dig.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
You are the one that is not being serious. What exactly do you think is required of a national defence force? Turning up for an evening or two a week, and then what?
he gave it a go, I'd rate the chances of a guy making claims on an internet forum doing or staying at it at close to zero. Perhaps actually zero.
I must admit, I've looked into it a little bit. I'm too old for yomping about carrying a rifle and getting yawped at by 20 year old lads with a stripe on their arm, but I would be interested in the firefighting side of things at airbases and the like. I retire in a few years time, and it would be nice to think my experience and the money local taxpayers have spent on me wouldn't all just be binned just because I've reached a certain middle age. I guess I'm a little bit institutionalised as well......
I must admit, I've looked into it a little bit. I'm too old for yomping about carrying a rifle and getting yawped at by 20 year old lads with a stripe on their arm, but I would be interested in the firefighting side of things at airbases and the like. I retire in a few years time, and it would be nice to think my experience and the money local taxpayers have spent on me wouldn't all just be binned just because I've reached a certain middle age. I guess I'm a little bit institutionalised as well......
No idea about that I wouldn't be surprised if it's outsourced. Plus (with the same lack of knowledge) I think you might have to go through a bit of being yawped at by 20 year olds before you might be able to take on those tasks.
And you wouldn't be yawped at by 20 year olds who would understand the relevant experience that you would bring and that you would be volunteering for an important job. Unlike middle manager urban office workers who reckon they could bring a bit of process and efficiency to the armed forces.
I must admit, I've looked into it a little bit. I'm too old for yomping about carrying a rifle and getting yawped at by 20 year old lads with a stripe on their arm, but I would be interested in the firefighting side of things at airbases and the like. I retire in a few years time, and it would be nice to think my experience and the money local taxpayers have spent on me wouldn't all just be binned just because I've reached a certain middle age. I guess I'm a little bit institutionalised as well......
An old schoolfriend of mine left school and joined the army, becoming an EOD officer (i.e. bomb disposal). She left the army around 2000, and in late 2001 the army asked if she wouldn't mind rejoining. Given what was happening around the world back then, she decided she was better off out!
I think she was one of the first female EOD officers in the MOD ...
The PSF figures don't make any kind of sense. There is nominal tax growth of around 4.5% YoY, inflation is running at 2.6%. The growth in government tax receipts is not consistent with stated GDP growth, especially given the lack of tax rises (and in some cases falling tax rates).
There is a disconnect, the deficit can't be falling as rapidly as it is if the economy saw just 1.2% YoY growth.
Perhaps I've misunderstood but doesn't that mean real tax growth was 1.9% compared to GDP growth (real) of 1.2%? That doesn't seem like an unbridgeable gap.
The PSF figures don't make any kind of sense. There is nominal tax growth of around 4.5% YoY, inflation is running at 2.6%. The growth in government tax receipts is not consistent with stated GDP growth, especially given the lack of tax rises (and in some cases falling tax rates).
There is a disconnect, the deficit can't be falling as rapidly as it is if the economy saw just 1.2% YoY growth.
Perhaps I've misunderstood but doesn't that mean real tax growth was 1.9% compared to GDP growth (real) of 1.2%? That doesn't seem like an unbridgeable gap.
Huzzah, growth & inflation has reduced our debt as % of GDP.
Public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, was £1,781.4bn at the end of last month, equivalent to 85% of GDP, the ONS said.
That is £44.7bn higher than a year earlier, but 0.4 percentage points lower as a percentage of GDP.
It's down from a peak of 87% I think. The PSNDex-exBoE is falling quite fast and that's the real measure of public debt, the BoE can and would print away any obligations.
On a separate note Trump has shot himself in the feet. Merc last night said that profits would be lower because of Chinese Tariffs on the SUV's they make in the USA that were exported to China. Good job those nice Chinese people can buy Range Rovers then.
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Others can decide what they think themselves.
The point is, like I'm sure many people who are doing well in their job, you want to "give something back" to the nation and, looking around at potential options, you thought: the army - they can use my skills.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
You have questioned my integrity this morning and basically called me a liar. You have now resorted to swearing.
This discussion is over.
LOL surely the Cicero of our day.
Oh and Edit: I didn't call you a liar I just pointed out the difference between your misguided desire to "do something" and the reality of what that might entail. I then noted that it was hugely unlikely that anything would come to pass from that stated desire.
The guy expressed opinions about something he would like to do and you attacked him aggressively over it with no provocation whatsoever. He's not the one that comes badly out of this.
The point is the MoD needs to be much more flexible in drawing upon the skills of the civilian population, which would be much better value for the taxpayer both in direct terms and in the cost and administrative efficiency of the armed forces themselves. At the moment the MoD is struggling to fill these positions, and take advantage of these skills, and this is a large part of the reason why.
I don’t think there’s anything I can say or do to influence conclusions you’ve already reached about me, which I suspect is largely goading for your entertainment, driven by our political differences, but I don’t make stuff like this up.
Others can decide what they think themselves.
The point is, like I'm sure many people who are doing well in their job, you want to "give something back" to the nation and, looking around at potential options, you thought: the army - they can use my skills.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
You have questioned my integrity this morning and basically called me a liar. You have now resorted to swearing.
This discussion is over.
LOL surely the Cicero of our day.
Oh and Edit: I didn't call you a liar I just pointed out the difference between your misguided desire to "do something" and the reality of what that might entail. I then noted that it was hugely unlikely that anything would come to pass from that stated desire.
The guy expressed opinions about something he would like to do and you attacked him aggressively over it with no provocation whatsoever. He's not the one that comes badly out of this.
Nah. He came over all armchair general "I'll join up, I will, I'll show everybody." and I just dissected that claim.
2017/18 was now £39.5bn compared with the £45.2bn predicted by the OBR in March.
After two months 2018/19 is £4.2bn lower than after two months of 2017/18 - which is again better than the OBR forecast.
I think Hammond has been given his extra NHS money - I'm not sure he'll be that pleased.
So the OBR was £5.7bn out in their forecasts of the deficit one month before the end of the financial year? That's comfortably more than a 10% error. I'd really like to think that someone might be facing the sack for that level of incompetence.
I also find it remarkable that an economy that was, according to official figures, barely growing managed to increase employment by over 400k and reduce the deficit by £6.2bn. The latter number is even more remarkable when you consider that public spending rose at a fairly fast rate.
Comments
Solo is the first Star Wars film I’ve only seen twice at the cinema.
Most of the others I’ve seen at least a dozen times.
Honestly that’s the finest Star Wars film since Empire.
Anyhoo all put your money on England to be bowled out for less than a 100 today.
After missing Trent Bridge I’m going to the Riverside today.
If you are a looney tunes Star Wars franchise nut who probably dresses up at weekends as Han Solo and hence your distress at this particular portrayal of him, then you hate it.
I think Radiohead are crap also.
Apparently it was done by accident.
http://www.cbi.org.uk/news/recovery-in-manufacturing-order-books-promising/
There's been a rash of new construction sites setting up and no retail chain has shut down this week.
The economy looks like it might be improving.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1009594000595193856?s=19
The Last Jedi on the other hand was appalling, close to a franchise killer
https://twitter.com/georgeeaton/status/1009424975353253888?s=21
Nobody thinks Star Wars is real. That doesn't mean people enjoy the rules of the universe being changed, or characters being rewritten. Internal consistency and plot coherence matter, as does not taking fans for granted.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/6582743/first-beer-and-fizzy-drinks-now-co2-crisis-could-cause-a-chicken-shortage/
Decriminalisation to boost demand?
And does this explain the drop in support for the LibDems?
O.K., being serious, I was surprised to hear that stat. It sounds like a *good thing* and anything we might do as a society to disrupt that downward trend sounds like a bad idea.
Overall, it would appear that Millennials are a cleaner living bunch than us older reprobates. Possibly the only upside from student fees. (That sounds like the subject matter for a thesis.)
2017/8 now under the £40bn mark, meeting GO's 2016 budget forecast (prereferendum) and 2018/19 could now easily be £30bn, meaning a surplus much sooner than expected. Or rather more.money for the NHS
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/may2018#revisions-since-previous-release
2017/18 was now £39.5bn compared with the £45.2bn predicted by the OBR in March.
After two months 2018/19 is £4.2bn lower than after two months of 2017/18 - which is again better than the OBR forecast.
I think Hammond has been given his extra NHS money - I'm not sure he'll be that pleased.
I thought I could work at RAF Odiham one or two evenings a week, but it seems I can’t (nearest base that accepts is miles and miles away) and it doesn’t quite work like that anyway.
Therefore, that’s what I expect May to go for.
Forecast looks a bit breezy.
There are plenty of things parties agree on which, technically, it is for a court or judge of some kind to describe.
https://variety.com/2018/film/features/solo-a-star-wars-story-directors-reshoots-ron-howard-1202817841/
There is a disconnect, the deficit can't be falling as rapidly as it is if the economy saw just 1.2% YoY growth.
But the broader point is that now that the inviolability of the Franchise has been shattered, maybe fans won't put up with endless rehashes around the same theme with minor amendments each time.
Same with Marvel which has some way to go I think. Same with Harry Potter, for that matter.
My mistake, I thought you were serious.
Trump wants to reverse that so that the US consumer (and manufacturers) pay much more. That looks fair and reasonable to me. But there will be high inflation, a big hike in US interest rates and falling real incomes. That's what holding all the cards means. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, on the stuff that really matters (basically the free flow of goods and supply chains across Europe) it won’t be an issue at all.
It’s a question of how much you think this is well choreographed panto v. strategic obstinacy, political cock-ups and meaningful disagreement.
I think it’s a bit of both, but i think there’s a lot more in the bag than not.
Incidentally, this isn’t just my experience. One of my closest friends (who used to be in the university air squadron, and a private pilot) found the whole process so convulted and bureaucratic, with the nearest base over 100 miles away from his home, that he gave up.
https://twitter.com/jonesarwyn/status/1009085150964174848
I expect the November budget to target around £33-35bn in terms of the deficit and the additional money to be earmarked for the first stage of the NHS budget increase. The next stage will be done via fiscal drag and possibly reintroducing NICs for retired people (NICs are dropping while income tax is rising much faster than inflation), the final stage will be the controversial "Brexit dividend" in 2022. There will be £10bn in the budget to spend after we leave, that money exists, whether it should be spent on the NHS is another matter, it definitely exists.
You then say how the MoD needs to be much more flexible in asking @Casino_Royale to help them in their hour of need but unaccountably you haven't received the phone call.
But it is all bollocks. You don't have the commitment to do anything for HMF apart from repeating to yourself when you're in front of a mirror or on an internet chatroom what an asset you would be to them, and thereby feeling like you're "doing your bit".
Nothing to do with your political views. Which are what, by the way?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-44559960?__twitter_impression=true
(I still regret having to sell my Caterham to buy my first kitchen...)
This discussion is over.
Oh and Edit: I didn't call you a liar I just pointed out the difference between your misguided desire to "do something" and the reality of what that might entail. I then noted that it was hugely unlikely that anything would come to pass from that stated desire.
And you wouldn't be yawped at by 20 year olds who would understand the relevant experience that you would bring and that you would be volunteering for an important job. Unlike middle manager urban office workers who reckon they could bring a bit of process and efficiency to the armed forces.
I think she was one of the first female EOD officers in the MOD ...
Public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, was £1,781.4bn at the end of last month, equivalent to 85% of GDP, the ONS said.
That is £44.7bn higher than a year earlier, but 0.4 percentage points lower as a percentage of GDP.
https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/notes-on-immigration/
Pineapple is a perfectly fine pizza topping
Good job those nice Chinese people can buy Range Rovers then.
I also find it remarkable that an economy that was, according to official figures, barely growing managed to increase employment by over 400k and reduce the deficit by £6.2bn. The latter number is even more remarkable when you consider that public spending rose at a fairly fast rate.