Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
I fucking hate Britain. Break it up, it's done. Stupid shitty island with "chips for tea"
As soon as they open the borders - Va-da-fucking-boom. I'm bugging out for the sun and I won't come back to Plague Island until mid 2023, earliest
Except we will be the only-place-in-the-world-without-plague Island.
Not really, of course, but not far from the truth!
I wish it would stop but I keep visualizing us as Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death.
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
This popped up uninvited on my FB. Perhaps an idea for the PB Jeg owners, particularly for campaigning in Indy ref II? Might sway the new Polish Scots..
Fuck me. That's uglier than Alok Sharma's cum face.
The reproduction of the Hurricane’s fabric covered, scalloped fuselage is the sign of a true pervert. Kudos to that man..
So he has. But only the rear portion, rightly so. Did he put the serial on the tail?
He's got the Polish national flash too and the relevant (303) squadron badge
303 is a strange choice for a Leavermobile like a Jag XE.
Exactly. But not all Jag drivers would be Brexiters, who in any case were putting photos of Polish squadrons from the Battle of Britain on their bumf.
That is true. They could just have tragic taste in cars.
My late father was an ardent Europhile (worked at the British Embassy and Brookings Institute in Brussels) and he had a Series 3 XJ6. He bought it new and it had visible rust on the A pillar within a year and a never ending series of electrical problems that defied all attempts at diagnosis and rectification.
My late father had a similar experience, if not so grand. Being a patriot he signed up to buy a brand new Austin Metro on its launch in 1980, something that was supposed to revitalise UK car manufacturing. Possibly the only brand new car he ever had. It was an absolute dog of a car, unreliable, appalling electrics, terrible brakes. I think he persevered with it for about 3 years before enough was enough.
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Speaking of patriotism, my cousin gave her 85-year-old husband (a retired pilot who is akin to BluestBlue in his views) a flight in a Spitfire for his birthday. He looped the loop (strictly against instructions) and said it was one of the best presents he'd ever had - has anyone else tried that? My wife gave me a Ferrari drive as a present a while back, and that was pretty good too.
Surely the obvious UK government line is that 50% of a 50% turnout does not demonstrate an overwhelming desire in Scotland for another independence referendum.
......and the reply is that 40% of a 70% turnout doesn't demonstrate a desire for a Boris Johnson led government.
No equivalence really. We have to have a government after all. Independence is a very major constitutional change. I can't believe the number of people siding with the SNP just because it will annoy Boris.
I also want someone to ask Sturgeon WHEN she would hold a referendum if it was granted.
I agree. It is diffcult to overestimate the loathing and desire for revenge many feel towards Boris Johnson. Not primarily because he's a crooked lying bastard but because he was responsible for taking us out of the EU
Many? A fanatic minority, perhaps.
They hold all the important social and cultural positions though.
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
More that the orange toddler in the White House wouldn't let them do their job.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
I fucking hate Britain. Break it up, it's done. Stupid shitty island with "chips for tea"
As soon as they open the borders - Va-da-fucking-boom. I'm bugging out for the sun and I won't come back to Plague Island until mid 2023, earliest
So you're going to wallow restlessly in your flat filled with self-pity.
Do something constructive, go somewhere new, achieve something, learn something.
The European Commission said Monday it wants to ease restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU — with the caveat of including a mechanism allowing countries to act to counter the spread of any new coronavirus variants.
"We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health situation. But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism," tweeted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal would allow travelers from countries with a “good epidemiological situation” to enter, as well as people who can prove they have had the “last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine” approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days prior to arrival, the Commission said.
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
The new plan would also see the EU’s methodology for calculating which countries are safe rise from a 14-day cumulative notification caseload of 25 per 100,000 people to 100 per 100,000; the bloc’s own average is 420.
Panic from their tourism industry? I really don't think anyone should be going to pretty much any of the EU countries this year given the levels of infection and the very slow roll out of vaccination. Portugal is arguably the least bad but even there...
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
Sean’s just inflicting his London-centric misery on the rest of us. The grey city is a depressing place when you’re not allowed anywhere inside.
Away from London, it’s been a dry month, with lots of sunshine, a lot less windy than usual (about to change down here!), ideal for any sort of strenuous outside activity, getting the garden in shape, or enjoying the warmth of the sun on a park bench, or behind a sunny window or conservatory.
Ayrshire was brilliant in April, very little rain , cool but lots of sunshine. Heavy rain today but been a long time since it has been like that, garden needed it. Glad I sorted out my garden work in the sun yesterday.
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
This popped up uninvited on my FB. Perhaps an idea for the PB Jeg owners, particularly for campaigning in Indy ref II? Might sway the new Polish Scots..
Fuck me. That's uglier than Alok Sharma's cum face.
The reproduction of the Hurricane’s fabric covered, scalloped fuselage is the sign of a true pervert. Kudos to that man..
So he has. But only the rear portion, rightly so. Did he put the serial on the tail?
He's got the Polish national flash too and the relevant (303) squadron badge
303 is a strange choice for a Leavermobile like a Jag XE.
Exactly. But not all Jag drivers would be Brexiters, who in any case were putting photos of Polish squadrons from the Battle of Britain on their bumf.
That is true. They could just have tragic taste in cars.
My late father was an ardent Europhile (worked at the British Embassy and Brookings Institute in Brussels) and he had a Series 3 XJ6. He bought it new and it had visible rust on the A pillar within a year and a never ending series of electrical problems that defied all attempts at diagnosis and rectification.
My late father had a similar experience, if not so grand. Being a patriot he signed up to buy a brand new Austin Metro on its launch in 1980, something that was supposed to revitalise UK car manufacturing. Possibly the only brand new car he ever had. It was an absolute dog of a car, unreliable, appalling electrics, terrible brakes. I think he persevered with it for about 3 years before enough was enough.
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Speaking of patriotism, my cousin gave her 85-year-old husband (a retired pilot who is akin to BluestBlue in his views) a flight in a Spitfire for his birthday. He looped the loop (strictly against instructions) and said it was one of the best presents he'd ever had - has anyone else tried that? My wife gave me a Ferrari drive as a present a while back, and that was pretty good too.
I found driving in Holland quite straightforward. Of course there were a lot of cars on the wrong side of the road but they soon got out of the way.
The European Commission said Monday it wants to ease restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU — with the caveat of including a mechanism allowing countries to act to counter the spread of any new coronavirus variants.
"We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health situation. But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism," tweeted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal would allow travelers from countries with a “good epidemiological situation” to enter, as well as people who can prove they have had the “last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine” approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days prior to arrival, the Commission said.
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
The new plan would also see the EU’s methodology for calculating which countries are safe rise from a 14-day cumulative notification caseload of 25 per 100,000 people to 100 per 100,000; the bloc’s own average is 420.
Translation - we're still in a massive sulk in the style of the famous Eurolphile Ted Heath!
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
More that the orange toddler in the White House wouldn't let them do their job.
Apparently more down to failings within the CDC and other bodies... will report back when the book has been read.
I'm so fed up of lockdown. What a waste of everyone's time and lives.
The idea masks contribute anything once 90%+ of the population are fully vaccinated is for the birds. I presume it's some sort of of cosmetic placebo, to remind people the virus "hasn't gone away", but you could fit a condom onto a cucumber for all the good it'd do, and strap it onto your head.
I hate masks. Three days for HMG to end the bullshit or I'm strop-voting for the yellow peril.
One or two people getting a bit agitated today.
I mean, we're all used to the daily hyperbolic verbal ejaculations from North London and won't we miss them when he's gone? No, not really.
You're usually more level-headed.
Those who, for whatever reason (and there are many), are unable to have the vaccine may feel retaining a mask is their only means of defence and let's not underestimate cultural and familial pressure, misconception or downright obstinacy. Only 70% of over-50s in Newham have had the first vaccination so that's thousands of potentially vulnerable people.
Being blunt, that's their problem.
Would I wear a mask on the tube in the middle of winter? Maybe - it's also worth considering mask wearing during spells of poor air quality but that's my choice, not the Government's nor peer group pressure.
I would hope legislation compelling mask wearing (though obviously as it's not enforced it's more honoured in the breach than the observance) will lapse on 21/6.
I would also hope greater awareness of public and personal health issues will be a positive outcome from all this. The routine de-sanitising of transport carriages should continue and if people are a little more meticulous about their personal hygiene and accept spreading their cold and flu germs round an entire carriage of strangers isn't perhaps the most positive approach to public health, I think we (and the economy) will all be better off.
The European Commission said Monday it wants to ease restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU — with the caveat of including a mechanism allowing countries to act to counter the spread of any new coronavirus variants.
"We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health situation. But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism," tweeted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal would allow travelers from countries with a “good epidemiological situation” to enter, as well as people who can prove they have had the “last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine” approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days prior to arrival, the Commission said.
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
The new plan would also see the EU’s methodology for calculating which countries are safe rise from a 14-day cumulative notification caseload of 25 per 100,000 people to 100 per 100,000; the bloc’s own average is 420.
Panic from their tourism industry? I really don't think anyone should be going to pretty much any of the EU countries this year given the levels of infection and the very slow roll out of vaccination. Portugal is arguably the least bad but even there...
Looking forward to some sun next year though.
Spain is desperate for 00000s of UK tourists and will let them in from June at the latest!
The European Commission said Monday it wants to ease restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU — with the caveat of including a mechanism allowing countries to act to counter the spread of any new coronavirus variants.
"We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health situation. But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism," tweeted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal would allow travelers from countries with a “good epidemiological situation” to enter, as well as people who can prove they have had the “last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine” approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days prior to arrival, the Commission said.
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
The new plan would also see the EU’s methodology for calculating which countries are safe rise from a 14-day cumulative notification caseload of 25 per 100,000 people to 100 per 100,000; the bloc’s own average is 420.
Translation - we're still in a massive sulk in the style of the famous Eurolphile Ted Heath!
I would like to see the justification for the UK not being on the list...
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Waiting for the ferry back from Europe, a car with German plates pulled up behind me. The driver asked me about the ferry times, in a broad Geordie accent. He had just bought the car in Germany for exactly that reason.
On the topic of good or bad TV endings, the best has to be the finale of M*A*S*H
Can an ending be both good, consistent with all that went before and still horrible? If so, I nominate the ending of the BBC co-produced mini-series Threads (1984). That still sends a shiver up my spine.
I'm so fed up of lockdown. What a waste of everyone's time and lives.
The idea masks contribute anything once 90%+ of the population are fully vaccinated is for the birds. I presume it's some sort of of cosmetic placebo, to remind people the virus "hasn't gone away", but you could fit a condom onto a cucumber for all the good it'd do, and strap it onto your head.
I hate masks. Three days for HMG to end the bullshit or I'm strop-voting for the yellow peril.
One or two people getting a bit agitated today.
I mean, we're all used to the daily hyperbolic verbal ejaculations from North London and won't we miss them when he's gone? No, not really.
You're usually more level-headed.
Those who, for whatever reason (and there are many), are unable to have the vaccine may feel retaining a mask is their only means of defence and let's not underestimate cultural and familial pressure, misconception or downright obstinacy. Only 70% of over-50s in Newham have had the first vaccination so that's thousands of potentially vulnerable people.
Being blunt, that's their problem.
Would I wear a mask on the tube in the middle of winter? Maybe - it's also worth considering mask wearing during spells of poor air quality but that's my choice, not the Government's nor peer group pressure.
I would hope legislation compelling mask wearing (though obviously as it's not enforced it's more honoured in the breach than the observance) will lapse on 21/6.
I would also hope greater awareness of public and personal health issues will be a positive outcome from all this. The routine de-sanitising of transport carriages should continue and if people are a little more meticulous about their personal hygiene and accept spreading their cold and flu germs round an entire carriage of strangers isn't perhaps the most positive approach to public health, I think we (and the economy) will all be better off.
TBH, I've found mask-wearing outdoors in the winter here more comfortable than not wearing one. In the summer, it will be the opposite.
I am looking forwards to not having to wear masks, but probably won't give them up completely, particularly in cold weather/flu season and perhaps even long-distance flights if neighbours are coughy-sneezy.
PS I am really looking forwards to not having to wear masks while sitting indoors. But I accept that we are not there yet in herd immunity terms.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Waiting for the ferry back from Europe, a car with German plates pulled up behind me. The driver asked me about the ferry times, in a broad Geordie accent. He had just bought the car in Germany for exactly that reason.
It's ironic that within sight of what was once one of the largest car manufacturing complexes in the world, the vehicle of choice isn't a Ford but a Mercedes, BMW or Audi.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
I fucking hate Britain. Break it up, it's done. Stupid shitty island with "chips for tea"
As soon as they open the borders - Va-da-fucking-boom. I'm bugging out for the sun and I won't come back to Plague Island until mid 2023, earliest
So you're going to wallow restlessly in your flat filled with self-pity.
Do something constructive, go somewhere new, achieve something, learn something.
Open your mind and the world will open to you.
No, I feel better now. Having vented.
Now I shall fuel myself with a double-shot espresso and get down to my flints. There is work to do. Later
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
It is an utterly bizarre list even for the EU. Aussies and Kiwis and the Asian countries they list aren't allowed to travel and Rwandans are mostly too poor anyway. And there's no way the Chinese will give them reciprocity.
Banning vaccinated Brits would cause fury in Spain, Italy and Greece and be completely pointless anyway.
The European Commission said Monday it wants to ease restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU — with the caveat of including a mechanism allowing countries to act to counter the spread of any new coronavirus variants.
"We propose to welcome again vaccinated visitors & those from countries with a good health situation. But if variants emerge we have to act fast: we propose an EU emergency brake mechanism," tweeted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposal would allow travelers from countries with a “good epidemiological situation” to enter, as well as people who can prove they have had the “last recommended dose of an EU-authorised vaccine” approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at least 14 days prior to arrival, the Commission said.
Until now, the Commission had only proposed lifting restrictions on arrivals from seven countries — Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand with a similar plan for Chinese travelers pending a deal on reciprocity.
In a background briefing for journalists, a Commission official said that if the new system were in place today, Israel would likely be included, but there would be “question marks” over the United Kingdom’s place on the list, while the United States would also “not quite” make it.
Good. People shouldn't be going to the EU anyway given the infection rates there:
The new plan would also see the EU’s methodology for calculating which countries are safe rise from a 14-day cumulative notification caseload of 25 per 100,000 people to 100 per 100,000; the bloc’s own average is 420.
Panic from their tourism industry? I really don't think anyone should be going to pretty much any of the EU countries this year given the levels of infection and the very slow roll out of vaccination. Portugal is arguably the least bad but even there...
Looking forward to some sun next year though.
Spain is desperate for 00000s of UK tourists and will let them in from June at the latest!
In the real world, subject to possibly Israel and some micro states, they are probably the safest visitors that Spain could have although the risks are not reciprocal. Of course in the EU world things are quite different.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
Plenty of evidence of a weakening Gulf Stream though some argument over what this will mean for European and North American climate and weather.
The scientific basis was used in the Emmerich film "The Day After Tomorrow" though that extrapolated to a complete collapse which no one is suggesting is likely this side of 2100 at the earliest (so it might be a problem for the next Labour Government).
There are other factors at work - look at the annual Polar Vortex and the regularity and intensity of Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events if you want a clue as to why, this spring, unlike last year, the cards haven't dropped in our favour regarding warmth. Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) are another key area - they govern global weather events such as EL Nino and La Nina in the Pacific. Warmer water encourages stronger storms - look at hurricanes and how they are starting to be seen outside the "traditional" areas of the Caribbean as more favourable SSTs spread to nearer the Azores and even the Med.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out!
Didn't Chaucer mention April droughts?
My bad. March drought, April showers:
"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye, (So priketh hem nature in hir corages), Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially from every shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blisful martir for to seke, That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke."
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
The Big Short is terrific. A must read if you want to understand what caused the bank crash of 08.
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
The Big Short is terrific. A must read if you want to understand what caused the bank crash of 08.
Superb film too. Not easy to make a film like that dramatic but they did it really well.
The weakening of the gulf stream will mainly affect winter weather. Worst-case scenario would see British winters get colder, even with strong overall global warming. But this spring the main factor has been wind direction. We've had an exceptional period of persistent northerly winds, probably mostly as a result of the Sudden Stratospheric Warming this winter. Now we are at the start of a period of westerlies bringing low pressure, cloud and rain from the Atlantic - a cruel contrast with May last year that was so exceptionally sunny it broke records that should by dint of the orbital cycle belong to June.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
Hartlepool will only lead the news until the Scottish results start appearing later on Friday
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
LHD is better for track use as the majority of UK circuits are clockwise. Fun fact: Knockhill is the only circuit in the UK permitted to CW and CCW.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
Hartlepool will only lead the news until the Scottish results start appearing later on Friday
"The SNP continue to run Scotland and may or may not demand a referendum." It's going to be about as exciting and expected as the 1987 GE results. I just dont see the story. It's status quo north of the border.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
I fucking hate Britain. Break it up, it's done. Stupid shitty island with "chips for tea"
As soon as they open the borders - Va-da-fucking-boom. I'm bugging out for the sun and I won't come back to Plague Island until mid 2023, earliest
So you're going to wallow restlessly in your flat filled with self-pity.
Do something constructive, go somewhere new, achieve something, learn something.
Open your mind and the world will open to you.
No, I feel better now. Having vented.
Now I shall fuel myself with a double-shot espresso and get down to my flints. There is work to do. Later
Here's a nice big one for you to get your teeth (metaphorically) into:
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
Pattern change coming at the weekend. Could reach 20c down here. Hope we do get some rain today - none so far and it’s desperately needed.
Seen my first political signage of the campaign. Remarkably it was for the SDP! Step back in time.
I would vote for them if they were standing in my area. They're the only part that's left-wing on economics without being woke.
Well. It wasn't in my Ward so I won't have the opportunity either. I honestly didn't know they still existed. But it was the famous red and blue SDP design.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out!
(meaning the May flower (or hawthorn blossom) rather than the end of the month of May. Probably won't be much difference between the two this year, mind...)
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
Go out to somewhere you haven't been before and see something new.
There's plenty of Britain between the twee and the wild.
I fucking hate Britain. Break it up, it's done. Stupid shitty island with "chips for tea"
As soon as they open the borders - Va-da-fucking-boom. I'm bugging out for the sun and I won't come back to Plague Island until mid 2023, earliest
So you're going to wallow restlessly in your flat filled with self-pity.
Do something constructive, go somewhere new, achieve something, learn something.
Open your mind and the world will open to you.
No, I feel better now. Having vented.
Now I shall fuel myself with a double-shot espresso and get down to my flints. There is work to do. Later
Here's a nice big one for you to get your teeth (metaphorically) into:
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Waiting for the ferry back from Europe, a car with German plates pulled up behind me. The driver asked me about the ferry times, in a broad Geordie accent. He had just bought the car in Germany for exactly that reason.
One of my brothers in law did that about 30 years ago. Flew out to Germany to pick up a new 3 Series. Was right hand drive too.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
And even if Hartlepool does wipe the slate clean (unlikely), that will only help until the next government cockup or media muckraking happens. Which won't take long.
Just got some alarming news. I have apparently authorised a transfer of £240 from my HSBC account to Mr C Jones. Which is quite a neat trick, given that I do not have an HSBC account. I hope he wasn't counting on it.
I’m not convinced Nicola Sturgeon’s grasp of law is all it might be (and I’m not talking about her nobbling the AG either).
If I fail to injunct a burglar from breaking into my house, that doesn’t mean I agree with their actions or make them legal.
Or perhaps a better parallel, if I fail to take pre-emptive legal action against the teenager who rides an unlicensed scrambler bike up and down my road at 50mph, that doesn’t suddenly mean he’s OK to do it.
For me it's a bit like Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger's non-legal wedding. Nobody prevented that happening, but that's not the same as the results having the same consequences under the law as an officially recognised marriage.
It's interesting how the Tories and the SNP are essentially fighting using exactly the same election campaign platform, but from opposing sides. They both agree that it spells Indyref 2 if the SNP win, because both believe it's in their interests for it to be believed. Stories like the above are good for both of them.
This has the makings of a little tragedy, in that it is a high wire operation in which it looks as if one side has to fall absolutely (over independence); I think it is more likely to be Nicola who loses as Boris holds the timing and process in his hands and it would be much better if both sides found a more reasonable accommodation.
Of course a possible outcome in Scotland is SNP 60, Green 4, Alba 2 which would give Nicola a majority when she could rely on Salmond. Totally disastrous for the country of course but the LOLs would be notable.
We could all use some LOLs.
It's utterly grisly now, isn't it?
And I know I bang on about the weather, but this sense of mounting frustration really is partly to do with the weather. Sitting outside a pub in 9C and light rain is just Not Fun, no matter how great it is that they are open. That's if you can get in a beer garden without booking 5 days ahead.
The lockdown PLUS relentless cold and now rain, is a cup of cold sick with a side order of bile.
Enough
No need to book at this little bar I go to.
But I agree on the weather. Some heat is needed and is coming soon, one hopes.
I am a bit of a weather geek. Normally I keep it hidden but in this remarkable period of nastiness, I expose it mercilessly.
Anyway, here is one forecast for Thursday. A maximum of 6-10C in many places, with heavy rain in the far south, lighter rain and SNOW in Northern England and Scotland
Despite anabobazina's understandable hopecasting below, the central prediction right now is for a rather modest upturn this weekend, then right back to possibly-record cold and some rain the week after, with no end in sight (two weeks is about as far as you can reasonably model UK weather, and even then it's pushing envelopes)
Look at the forecast for noon, Wed 12 May. The maximum across southern England is 4-8C. This is NOON not midnight. This is May not Jan
We are looking at a remarkable spell of weather, for all the wrong reasons
Climate change has diverted the Gulf Stream already?
I punted that theory on here a few days ago. The GS is weakening, and this is the result
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
I went out at 4am yesterday to do a dawn chorus survey. It was below zero with a heavy frost. Not had that before (in about 20 odd years of doing it).
I don't think this is much to do with the Gulf Stream though. I thought the speculation was that the warming Arctic means that the temperature gradient from Pole to mid-latitudes has decreased, and thus weakened the jet stream. This causes it to get stuck into one pattern or another for longer periods.
Lets hope it gets stuck the right way this summer.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
And even if Hartlepool does wipe the slate clean (unlikely), that will only help until the next government cockup or media muckraking happens. Which won't take long.
He really needs someone to sort him out and keep him out of trouble. The Bremner caricature of Alastair Campbell is what he needs. Ironically Cummins might have actually played that role but in a very dysfunctional way.
One of my brothers in law did that about 30 years ago. Flew out to Germany to pick up a new 3 Series. Was right hand drive too.
When I was in the US, BMW had a deal where you would fly to the factory to "collect" your car, drive it around for a week on temporary plates, return it to the factory where they would then ship it to the US at a massive discount.
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
The Big Short is terrific. A must read if you want to understand what caused the bank crash of 08.
Superb film too. Not easy to make a film like that dramatic but they did it really well.
It was yes. And a bit different to the book. A complement to it rather than a substitute.
I’m not convinced Nicola Sturgeon’s grasp of law is all it might be (and I’m not talking about her nobbling the AG either).
If I fail to injunct a burglar from breaking into my house, that doesn’t mean I agree with their actions or make them legal.
Or perhaps a better parallel, if I fail to take pre-emptive legal action against the teenager who rides an unlicensed scrambler bike up and down my road at 50mph, that doesn’t suddenly mean he’s OK to do it.
For me it's a bit like Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger's non-legal wedding. Nobody prevented that happening, but that's not the same as the results having the same consequences under the law as an officially recognised marriage.
It's interesting how the Tories and the SNP are essentially fighting using exactly the same election campaign platform, but from opposing sides. They both agree that it spells Indyref 2 if the SNP win, because both believe it's in their interests for it to be believed. Stories like the above are good for both of them.
This has the makings of a little tragedy, in that it is a high wire operation in which it looks as if one side has to fall absolutely (over independence); I think it is more likely to be Nicola who loses as Boris holds the timing and process in his hands and it would be much better if both sides found a more reasonable accommodation.
There can't be a real accommodation with Scottish nationalism - a workable concession to it, because any additional powers or resources given over by the UK, will be used against the UK. There can, should, and must, be a new, fairer UK that all citizens of the home nations bar the most extreme nationalists can get on board with, but that will not be obtained through co-operation with nationalist politicians.
Some interesting findings in the Survation Scotland poll:
To the best of your knowledge, which government is responsible for each of the following in Scotland: The sourcing of vaccine supplies?
UK: 55% Scottish: 16% Both: 24% Don't Know: 5%
Little variation in understanding between different political persuasions. However, when it comes to spending, a majority of SNP voters are more likely to believe public spending in Scotland is the same or lower (55%) than UK average than total base (44%)
To the best of your knowledge, do you think public spending per head of population in Scotland (by the Scottish and UK Governments) is above the UK average, below the UK average or about the same:
Total Base (SNP) Above UK Average: 38% (34%) Below UK Average: 24% (32%) About the same: 20% (23%) Don't know: 18% (12%)
About to start reading The Premonition by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short. It’s his view of the response to the pandemic in the US - my son has read it and says it’s a fascinating read, the gist of which is that the US had the right people with the right expertise in the right place to deal effectively with a pandemic but that the bureaucratic systems of government prevented them from doing so...
The Big Short is terrific. A must read if you want to understand what caused the bank crash of 08.
Superb film too. Not easy to make a film like that dramatic but they did it really well.
It was yes. And a bit different to the book. A complement to it rather than a substitute.
Remarkable too how they managed to explain some fairly complex financial transactions without it sounding like a business school lecture, or even preachy.
I do expect to win, yes, but it's not over till it's over. Labour holding Hartlepool would be a surprise rather than a shock. If they were to drift to something like 3.5 I'd consider backing them.
*if* BoJo does win Hartlepool, then that is the story, and the only story in town, who paid for his wallpaper and the 139 enquiries into who borrowed what for it will be an utter irrelevance.
Yes - only for a while but it will be.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
And even if Hartlepool does wipe the slate clean (unlikely), that will only help until the next government cockup or media muckraking happens. Which won't take long.
He really needs someone to sort him out and keep him out of trouble. The Bremner caricature of Alastair Campbell is what he needs. Ironically Cummins might have actually played that role but in a very dysfunctional way.
That was what people said Carrie was doing - and she was deemed as an improvement on Cummings. Sadly her enthusiasm for the decorative arts has made her more of a liability.
Is it any surprise that a campaign by Little Englanders for Little Englanders did not win majority support in Scotland?
They should definitely have another go...
Sunak says Scottish independence would wreck UK economy. Surely Scotland regaining its independence would save the UK billions in subsidies?..Oh wait a minute.............
Except Sunak didn’t say that.
What, a nationalist being ‘economical with the truth’, I’m shocked.
A clear plurality of SNP voters think the UK government will pay their pension after independence, in contrast only 29% of Con or Lab voters do:
Q11: Which of these statements best describes your understanding of what would happen to state pensions if Scotland was independent? Total Base (SNP)
If Scotland became independent, I would still receive a UK state pension paid for by the UK Government, based on my NI contributions before independence.: 33% (43%)
If Scotland became independent, I would no longer receive a UK state pension paid for by the UK Government, and would instead receive whatever state pension the Scottish Government provided.: 36% (33%)
Does suggest the tories think they might have this
#politicalearthquake
The last by election victory by a government caused the impossible (as it was claimed) to happen. The over ruling of the fixed term parliament act and a following GE. We arent going to have that level of earthquake, but the repercussions are going to be there.
Just got some alarming news. I have apparently authorised a transfer of £240 from my HSBC account to Mr C Jones. Which is quite a neat trick, given that I do not have an HSBC account. I hope he wasn't counting on it.
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
SNP voters think Scotland's trade with the EU is more important than it is with the UK (spoilers - it's around one quarter):
Q14: To the best of your knowledge, which of the following is currently Scotland’s biggest trading partner (by value of trade)? Total (SNP 2019GE) % UK: 40 (32) EU: 31 (38) RoW: 10 (12) DK: 20 (18)
Just done a quick vaccine count calculation - by the end of May we'll reach 81-83% of adults with one dose and 50% of adults with two doses, that's with no increase in vaccine supply. Assuming the MHRA ever get around to approving Novavax that 81-83% becomes more like 87-89% leaving just 7-8% needing first doses (around one week of supply in June). By the time we hit June 21st everyone who wants a vaccine will have had a first dose and by the end of July every single person will have had both doses except a few unlucky people who get AZ in the next two to three weeks.
Surely those who get AZ in the next few weeks could have their 2nd dose early (though not really early versus the original plan) once there are no more first doses to give?
There are clinical reasons to delay the second AZ dose to 12 weeks. Someone who gets AZ at the end of May will need to wait until the middle of August for their second dose. However, it does seem like the MHRA are about to remove that option by limiting AZ for under 40s as well, I assume we will get Novavax approved around the same time which only needs a minimum 3 week gap for 96% efficacy.
Other countries are not using a 12 week gap for AZ. I entirely support the UK's decision to do so, but I think the primary driver was the laudible desire to get as many 1st doses given as quickly as possible*.
Hancock briefed him on it as an idea his department had come up with and he was considering. He asked Blair’s opinion.
Blair then ran and brief the media about his wonderful idea.
Hancock was so pissed off that he ceased all briefing of Blair
It was extraordinary poor behaviour by a former PM
I was teasing.
I am rather surprised Hancock spoke to Blair about the idea though. I would not have expected any contact at all between any member of the current cabinet and Blair.
All former PMs are entitled to briefing on Privy Counsellor terms & are expected to offer their advice
Interesting, and on the whole positive.
Wonder IF they could have a seance to brief and consult Sir Robert Walpole, Pitt Elder & Younger, Disraeli, Gladstone, Lloyd George, Churchill, Atlee, Macmillan, Wilson, Thatcher?
Wot no Palmerston?
He could advise from beyond the grave for five hour stretches complete with memorable Latin quips.
He might be able to help with the Schleswig-Holstein question
Had he not, rather famously, forgotten all about it?
Yes but he hasn’t had much to distract him recently so was hopeful he’d remembered
It's basically the Zaphod Beeblebrox solution- if BoJo has enough fun Being Prime Minister, he won't notice or mind the fact that someone else is exercising all the actual power.
That falls apart pretty quickly once it's made explicit, though. Does Boris really want to just be the performing monkey? Following orders of an unelected assistant? And if you really want the power, aren't you eventually going to despair at being Boris's pooper scooper? It seems that's part of what happened to Dom.
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
It is likely that nobody has your number. They just send their nonsense to random numbers.
I've had a few of the dodgy texts about non-existent parcel deliveries in recent days.
Does suggest the tories think they might have this
#politicalearthquake
The last by election victory by a government caused the impossible (as it was claimed) to happen. The over ruling of the fixed term parliament act and a following GE. We arent going to have that level of earthquake, but the repercussions are going to be there.
Important caveat though- the 2017 General Election did not play out in the Conservative-friendly way that Copeland indicated.
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
It is likely that nobody has your number. They just send their nonsense to random numbers.
I've had a few of the dodgy texts about non-existent parcel deliveries in recent days.
And a call 'from Talk Talk' on the landline.
I’m pissed off with the government on this - they should have been taking the fight to the scammers years ago. It’s outrageous, the sheer amount of misery that they’ve caused/ continue to cause - especially to the most vulnerable.
Should be considered a national security issue.
I mean they’re impersonating the police, hmrc and other government agencies now. That used to be one of the most serious offences, but it seems nowadays the government doesn’t care / files it in the “too hard” pile.
This popped up uninvited on my FB. Perhaps an idea for the PB Jeg owners, particularly for campaigning in Indy ref II? Might sway the new Polish Scots..
Fuck me. That's uglier than Alok Sharma's cum face.
The reproduction of the Hurricane’s fabric covered, scalloped fuselage is the sign of a true pervert. Kudos to that man..
So he has. But only the rear portion, rightly so. Did he put the serial on the tail?
He's got the Polish national flash too and the relevant (303) squadron badge
303 is a strange choice for a Leavermobile like a Jag XE.
Exactly. But not all Jag drivers would be Brexiters, who in any case were putting photos of Polish squadrons from the Battle of Britain on their bumf.
That is true. They could just have tragic taste in cars.
My late father was an ardent Europhile (worked at the British Embassy and Brookings Institute in Brussels) and he had a Series 3 XJ6. He bought it new and it had visible rust on the A pillar within a year and a never ending series of electrical problems that defied all attempts at diagnosis and rectification.
My late father had a similar experience, if not so grand. Being a patriot he signed up to buy a brand new Austin Metro on its launch in 1980, something that was supposed to revitalise UK car manufacturing. Possibly the only brand new car he ever had. It was an absolute dog of a car, unreliable, appalling electrics, terrible brakes. I think he persevered with it for about 3 years before enough was enough.
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Speaking of patriotism, my cousin gave her 85-year-old husband (a retired pilot who is akin to BluestBlue in his views) a flight in a Spitfire for his birthday. He looped the loop (strictly against instructions) and said it was one of the best presents he'd ever had - has anyone else tried that? My wife gave me a Ferrari drive as a present a while back, and that was pretty good too.
In summer months the spitfire flies past my house at least once a day, since we’re on the route for the flights out of Goodwood and Lee-on-Solent. I was surprised to see that the price they charge for relatively short flights is two or three thousand, although on some of them aerobatics are allowed, and marketed as such. When I first moved here the distinctive noise of the plane was always enough for me to drop what I was doing and go take a look, but as a daily occurrence in summer I’m now used to seeing it fly by.
@Foxy asked earlier if the currency question was simply a proxy for "independence" - it seems not:
On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is not favourable at all and 5 is very favourable, how favourable would you be towards the following currency options if Scotland becomes independent?
While the SNP has been gloriously vague on their currency plans, their logic would be to:
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro: Rating '5' 'very favourable' 2019 GE vote: Con: 6 Lab: 9 LibD: 4 SNP: 25
Does suggest the tories think they might have this
#politicalearthquake
The last by election victory by a government caused the impossible (as it was claimed) to happen. The over ruling of the fixed term parliament act and a following GE. We arent going to have that level of earthquake, but the repercussions are going to be there.
Important caveat though- the 2017 General Election did not play out in the Conservative-friendly way that Copeland indicated.
It most certainly did not.... That unintended consequence just makes the earthquake so much bigger. A quick resignation by Starmer, replaced with either a complete loon bag like Sultana or a more sensible person like maybe Yvette Cooper... Starmer has the passion of an opened packet of custard creams that have sat on the table for a week.
Latest from Laurence Fox: Is the collective noun for socialists a “misery” When we bumped into a misery of socialists on Walthamstow high street, their opening gambit was “Scumbag! Your parents must be ashamed of you!” And they wonder why no one votes for the miserable sods.
Odd comment from someone currently polling 46 points behind the Labour candidate ...
@Foxy asked earlier if the currency question was simply a proxy for "independence" - it seems not:
On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is not favourable at all and 5 is very favourable, how favourable would you be towards the following currency options if Scotland becomes independent?
While the SNP has been gloriously vague on their currency plans, their logic would be to:
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro: Rating '5' 'very favourable' 2019 GE vote: Con: 6 Lab: 9 LibD: 4 SNP: 25
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
It is likely that nobody has your number. They just send their nonsense to random numbers.
I've had a few of the dodgy texts about non-existent parcel deliveries in recent days.
And a call 'from Talk Talk' on the landline.
I’m pissed off with the government on this - they should have been taking the fight to the scammers years ago. It’s outrageous, the sheer amount of misery that they’ve caused/ continue to cause - especially to the most vulnerable.
Should be considered a national security issue.
I mean they’re impersonating the police, hmrc and other government agencies now. That used to be one of the most serious offences, but it seems nowadays the government doesn’t care / files it in the “too hard” pile.
I just dont think they can. The money is too good for the scammers to not just change their MO. The countries that they are based in dont really have "stupid rich white people" at the top of their list for crackdowns.
This popped up uninvited on my FB. Perhaps an idea for the PB Jeg owners, particularly for campaigning in Indy ref II? Might sway the new Polish Scots..
Fuck me. That's uglier than Alok Sharma's cum face.
The reproduction of the Hurricane’s fabric covered, scalloped fuselage is the sign of a true pervert. Kudos to that man..
So he has. But only the rear portion, rightly so. Did he put the serial on the tail?
He's got the Polish national flash too and the relevant (303) squadron badge
303 is a strange choice for a Leavermobile like a Jag XE.
Exactly. But not all Jag drivers would be Brexiters, who in any case were putting photos of Polish squadrons from the Battle of Britain on their bumf.
That is true. They could just have tragic taste in cars.
My late father was an ardent Europhile (worked at the British Embassy and Brookings Institute in Brussels) and he had a Series 3 XJ6. He bought it new and it had visible rust on the A pillar within a year and a never ending series of electrical problems that defied all attempts at diagnosis and rectification.
My late father had a similar experience, if not so grand. Being a patriot he signed up to buy a brand new Austin Metro on its launch in 1980, something that was supposed to revitalise UK car manufacturing. Possibly the only brand new car he ever had. It was an absolute dog of a car, unreliable, appalling electrics, terrible brakes. I think he persevered with it for about 3 years before enough was enough.
It is shockingly remarkable just how reliable cars are now. Their biggest issues tend to not be mechanical but their desire to shove all their base models with technology which is less stable.
I have a 13 year old Fiat with not a spot of rust, and all the electrics work, never garaged. We didn't get that in my youth.
@Foxy asked earlier if the currency question was simply a proxy for "independence" - it seems not:
On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is not favourable at all and 5 is very favourable, how favourable would you be towards the following currency options if Scotland becomes independent?
While the SNP has been gloriously vague on their currency plans, their logic would be to:
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro: Rating '5' 'very favourable' 2019 GE vote: Con: 6 Lab: 9 LibD: 4 SNP: 25
Bah, fiat money is so 1996.
Create a new crptocurrency and have it linked to special fortified wine. BuckCoin.
@Foxy asked earlier if the currency question was simply a proxy for "independence" - it seems not:
On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is not favourable at all and 5 is very favourable, how favourable would you be towards the following currency options if Scotland becomes independent?
While the SNP has been gloriously vague on their currency plans, their logic would be to:
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro: Rating '5' 'very favourable' 2019 GE vote: Con: 6 Lab: 9 LibD: 4 SNP: 25
Bah, fiat money is so 1996.
Always thought that was half of the expression "ferrari tastes but fiat money."
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is completely distrust" and 10 is "completely trust" 10-6/5/4-0 (Net) Salmond: 9 / 8 / 79 Sturgeon: 52 / 7 / 39 Johnson: 24 / 9 / 65
To be less trusted in Scotland than Boris Johnson is going some.....
This popped up uninvited on my FB. Perhaps an idea for the PB Jeg owners, particularly for campaigning in Indy ref II? Might sway the new Polish Scots..
Fuck me. That's uglier than Alok Sharma's cum face.
The reproduction of the Hurricane’s fabric covered, scalloped fuselage is the sign of a true pervert. Kudos to that man..
So he has. But only the rear portion, rightly so. Did he put the serial on the tail?
He's got the Polish national flash too and the relevant (303) squadron badge
303 is a strange choice for a Leavermobile like a Jag XE.
Exactly. But not all Jag drivers would be Brexiters, who in any case were putting photos of Polish squadrons from the Battle of Britain on their bumf.
That is true. They could just have tragic taste in cars.
My late father was an ardent Europhile (worked at the British Embassy and Brookings Institute in Brussels) and he had a Series 3 XJ6. He bought it new and it had visible rust on the A pillar within a year and a never ending series of electrical problems that defied all attempts at diagnosis and rectification.
My late father had a similar experience, if not so grand. Being a patriot he signed up to buy a brand new Austin Metro on its launch in 1980, something that was supposed to revitalise UK car manufacturing. Possibly the only brand new car he ever had. It was an absolute dog of a car, unreliable, appalling electrics, terrible brakes. I think he persevered with it for about 3 years before enough was enough.
I remember seeing a chart which seemed to show a "patriotism penalty" in every European country - manufacturers always charged more in their home market, presumably counting on people to prefer them. Denmark had an enormous car tax of around 110%, so in order to compete there every manufacturer had the lowest prices in Denmark (which tells us something about their profit margin elsewhere). At that time you could make a significant saving in Britain if you bought a car in Denmark and imported it to Britain (avoiding the Danish tax as it was only for export) - so long as you didn't mind the driving seat being on the left. I knew someone who did it - lived in London and said the extra difficulty in overtaking was more than compensated by greater ease in parking.
Speaking of patriotism, my cousin gave her 85-year-old husband (a retired pilot who is akin to BluestBlue in his views) a flight in a Spitfire for his birthday. He looped the loop (strictly against instructions) and said it was one of the best presents he'd ever had - has anyone else tried that? My wife gave me a Ferrari drive as a present a while back, and that was pretty good too.
For my birthday a couple of years ago, my wife also bought be a flight in the Duxforth spitfire. It's well worth doing, and the PIC let me fly the plane pretty much the entire time except for landing.
I would highly recommend it.
(Here in LA, she got me an hour in a jet trainer for another birthday. That was even more fun, as the power-to-weight ratio was much better, and the pilot - a former Hungarian Major - was much more relaxed about letting me do whatever I wanted.)
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
It is likely that nobody has your number. They just send their nonsense to random numbers.
I've had a few of the dodgy texts about non-existent parcel deliveries in recent days.
And a call 'from Talk Talk' on the landline.
I’m pissed off with the government on this - they should have been taking the fight to the scammers years ago. It’s outrageous, the sheer amount of misery that they’ve caused/ continue to cause - especially to the most vulnerable.
Should be considered a national security issue.
I mean they’re impersonating the police, hmrc and other government agencies now. That used to be one of the most serious offences, but it seems nowadays the government doesn’t care / files it in the “too hard” pile.
I just dont think they can. The money is too good for the scammers to not just change their MO. The countries that they are based in dont really have "stupid rich white people" at the top of their list for crackdowns.
These scammers aren’t as smart as they think they are. With some proper resources, they can be deanonymised and then we just send in the sas or drone the fuckers wherever they are in the world.
It’s decent training for our intel/cyber forces to learn the kind of skills required in the new security environment.
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
No I don't have a facebook account or a twitter account. I am incredibly up with the zeitgeist though because I use WhatsApp, zoom, webex and sundry other video platforms.
Comments
Speaking of patriotism, my cousin gave her 85-year-old husband (a retired pilot who is akin to BluestBlue in his views) a flight in a Spitfire for his birthday. He looped the loop (strictly against instructions) and said it was one of the best presents he'd ever had - has anyone else tried that? My wife gave me a Ferrari drive as a present a while back, and that was pretty good too.
Do something constructive, go somewhere new, achieve something, learn something.
Open your mind and the world will open to you.
Looking forward to some sun next year though.
I do wonder. The idea is not without some modest evidence. It would explain why Britain has been in these blocked patterns, one after the other - amazing spring 2020 (sun and warmth), remarkably grey, cold autumn winter, now very cold but dry spring 2021 (dry til now) - where are our normal westerlies, which usually break everything down, every few days?
Right now I'd love me some AVERAGE British weather
I mean, we're all used to the daily hyperbolic verbal ejaculations from North London and won't we miss them when he's gone? No, not really.
You're usually more level-headed.
Those who, for whatever reason (and there are many), are unable to have the vaccine may feel retaining a mask is their only means of defence and let's not underestimate cultural and familial pressure, misconception or downright obstinacy. Only 70% of over-50s in Newham have had the first vaccination so that's thousands of potentially vulnerable people.
Being blunt, that's their problem.
Would I wear a mask on the tube in the middle of winter? Maybe - it's also worth considering mask wearing during spells of poor air quality but that's my choice, not the Government's nor peer group pressure.
I would hope legislation compelling mask wearing (though obviously as it's not enforced it's more honoured in the breach than the observance) will lapse on 21/6.
I would also hope greater awareness of public and personal health issues will be a positive outcome from all this. The routine de-sanitising of transport carriages should continue and if people are a little more meticulous about their personal hygiene and accept spreading their cold and flu germs round an entire carriage of strangers isn't perhaps the most positive approach to public health, I think we (and the economy) will all be better off.
Mind you, perhaps doing us a favour
I am looking forwards to not having to wear masks, but probably won't give them up completely, particularly in cold weather/flu season and perhaps even long-distance flights if neighbours are coughy-sneezy.
PS I am really looking forwards to not having to wear masks while sitting indoors. But I accept that we are not there yet in herd immunity terms.
Now I shall fuel myself with a double-shot espresso and get down to my flints. There is work to do. Later
Banning vaccinated Brits would cause fury in Spain, Italy and Greece and be completely pointless anyway.
It's just that I haven't quite got round to it yet...
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-gulf-stream-weakest-millennium.html
Plenty of evidence of a weakening Gulf Stream though some argument over what this will mean for European and North American climate and weather.
The scientific basis was used in the Emmerich film "The Day After Tomorrow" though that extrapolated to a complete collapse which no one is suggesting is likely this side of 2100 at the earliest (so it might be a problem for the next Labour Government).
There are other factors at work - look at the annual Polar Vortex and the regularity and intensity of Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events if you want a clue as to why, this spring, unlike last year, the cards haven't dropped in our favour regarding warmth. Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) are another key area - they govern global weather events such as EL Nino and La Nina in the Pacific. Warmer water encourages stronger storms - look at hurricanes and how they are starting to be seen outside the "traditional" areas of the Caribbean as more favourable SSTs spread to nearer the Azores and even the Med.
It is basically classic Laura whitewash.
The cognoscenti know it's the expected result but it will be presented as a shocker and too much will be read into it.
I'll be looking for OTT reaction in Starmer and GE markets and taking advantage.
"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages),
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke."
LHD is better for track use as the majority of UK circuits are clockwise. Fun fact: Knockhill is the only circuit in the UK permitted to CW and CCW.
Remarkably it was for the SDP!
Step back in time.
https://www.flint-paramoudra.com/paramoudra.html
I don't think this is much to do with the Gulf Stream though. I thought the speculation was that the warming Arctic means that the temperature gradient from Pole to mid-latitudes has decreased, and thus weakened the jet stream. This causes it to get stuck into one pattern or another for longer periods.
Lets hope it gets stuck the right way this summer.
Total cases = 15,233
36% of cases (5,520) are in these 11 areas:
Brent
Wolverhampton
Leicester
Wrexham
NE Derbyshire
Chorley
Bolton
Kirklees
Leeds
N Lincs
Hull
https://covid.joinzoe.com/data
Speaking of leaders, a much better one is the oft-neglected Aurelian. Splendid video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqMBAbUXsk
To the best of your knowledge, which government is responsible for each of the following in Scotland: The sourcing of vaccine supplies?
UK: 55%
Scottish: 16%
Both: 24%
Don't Know: 5%
Little variation in understanding between different political persuasions. However, when it comes to spending, a majority of SNP voters are more likely to believe public spending in Scotland is the same or lower (55%) than UK average than total base (44%)
To the best of your knowledge, do you think public spending per head of population in Scotland (by the Scottish and UK Governments) is above the UK average, below the UK average or about the same:
Total Base (SNP)
Above UK Average: 38% (34%)
Below UK Average: 24% (32%)
About the same: 20% (23%)
Don't know: 18% (12%)
https://www.these-islands.co.uk/publications/i374/scottish_politics_in_the_grip_of_a_fact_denial_epidemic.aspx
Seems like Boris has been to Hartlepool 3 times
Does suggest the tories think they might have this
Q11: Which of these statements best describes your understanding of what would happen to state pensions if Scotland was independent? Total Base (SNP)
If Scotland became independent, I would still receive a UK state pension paid for by the UK Government, based on my NI contributions before independence.: 33% (43%)
If Scotland became independent, I would no longer receive a UK state pension paid for by the UK Government, and would instead receive whatever state pension the Scottish Government provided.: 36% (33%)
The last by election victory by a government caused the impossible (as it was claimed) to happen. The over ruling of the fixed term parliament act and a following GE. We arent going to have that level of earthquake, but the repercussions are going to be there.
Do you have a Facebook account? A whole load of phone numbers were leaked to the Internet a few weeks ago, I am almost certain this is how they got my number.
Q14: To the best of your knowledge, which of the following is currently Scotland’s biggest trading partner (by value of trade)?
Total (SNP 2019GE) %
UK: 40 (32)
EU: 31 (38)
RoW: 10 (12)
DK: 20 (18)
That falls apart pretty quickly once it's made explicit, though. Does Boris really want to just be the performing monkey? Following orders of an unelected assistant? And if you really want the power, aren't you eventually going to despair at being Boris's pooper scooper? It seems that's part of what happened to Dom.
I've had a few of the dodgy texts about non-existent parcel deliveries in recent days.
And a call 'from Talk Talk' on the landline.
Some of you might remember me talking about my sons exorbitant electric bill.
Well, it keeps growing - heading towards 2k now and going up at around 50 a day!!!!!!!
FINALLY got his provider to come out as they tried arguing he must be using that - 2 bed flat, living on his own .... riiiiight........
They have found a cable from his supply heading somewhere unknown... further investigation required.
Looks like someone might have some explaining to do......
4 trips to Hartlepool? Eugh.
Should be considered a national security issue.
I mean they’re impersonating the police, hmrc and other government agencies now. That used to be one of the most serious offences, but it seems nowadays the government doesn’t care / files it in the “too hard” pile.
On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is not favourable at all and 5 is very favourable, how favourable would you be towards the following currency options if Scotland becomes independent?
Keep the pound indefinitely:
Rating '5' 'very favourable'
2019 GE vote:
Con: 63
Lab: 59
LibD: 45
SNP: 40
While the SNP has been gloriously vague on their currency plans, their logic would be to:
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro:
Rating '5' 'very favourable'
2019 GE vote:
Con: 6
Lab: 9
LibD: 4
SNP: 25
Is the collective noun for socialists a “misery”
When we bumped into a misery of socialists on Walthamstow high street, their opening gambit was “Scumbag! Your parents must be ashamed of you!”
And they wonder why no one votes for the miserable sods.
Odd comment from someone currently polling 46 points behind the Labour candidate ...
Keep the pound indefinitely: 25%
Keep the pound until joining the euro: 15%
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted: 17%
Keep the pound until a new Scottish currency is adopted and later join the euro: 9%
Don't know: 35%
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is completely distrust" and 10 is "completely trust"
10-6/5/4-0 (Net)
Salmond: 9 / 8 / 79
Sturgeon: 52 / 7 / 39
Johnson: 24 / 9 / 65
To be less trusted in Scotland than Boris Johnson is going some.....
I would highly recommend it.
(Here in LA, she got me an hour in a jet trainer for another birthday. That was even more fun, as the power-to-weight ratio was much better, and the pilot - a former Hungarian Major - was much more relaxed about letting me do whatever I wanted.)
It’s decent training for our intel/cyber forces to learn the kind of skills required in the new security environment.