Curtis: “I went out and said to the four people working in the office if you were being flirted with, which of these would you prefer? They definitely picked the cards. so it was a community decision.”
WTF were the other options?
I thought of replying to that, and then thought no.
With Sednaya in the news, this popped up from 2019.
You couldn't make it up.
#France's far-right meet with #Assad & celebrate by drinking Cotes Du Rhone in #Sednaya - home to #Syria's infamous prison & its bespoke crematorium, where ~3,000 people are executed each year, each signed off by Grand Mufti Hassoun, who they also met! https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/1168907417784131587
There seems to be a liking for brutal dictators with some people on the alt right. I came across a clip the other day of an American emitter called Stew Peters. An absolute nutcase and nasty with it. A must miss if you ever get the chance.
Curtis: “I went out and said to the four people working in the office if you were being flirted with, which of these would you prefer? They definitely picked the cards. so it was a community decision.”
WTF were the other options?
I thought of replying to that, and then thought no.
Write it on some big pieces of card and pop round to my house uninvited
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
We are off to Iceland for a few days next weeks.
The plans changed somewhat when I discovered that the TUI flights with hand luggage included was cheaper than what easyJet wanted for luggage and seat selection alone (after the £1000 they wanted for the flights). TUI was £375 for 3 of us all in
Twin a is still flying with easyJet but from Gatwick which even after the £70 train fare was £200 less than easyJet wanted form Manchester
This wasn't the best of predictions, written a few weeks ago.
"Stalemate and containment will define Syria’s highly destructive civil war. The beleaguered president, Bashar al-Assad, will hold off attempts to overthrow his regime without achieving the overthrow of his enemies. Outsiders, including the US and Iran, on the same side for once, will provide sufficient aid to halt the advance of Islamic State, but not enough to dismantle it."
Curtis: “I went out and said to the four people working in the office if you were being flirted with, which of these would you prefer? They definitely picked the cards. so it was a community decision.”
WTF were the other options?
1) Unmarked van, duct tape 2) Frame for treason / murder 3) ?
Curtis: “I went out and said to the four people working in the office if you were being flirted with, which of these would you prefer? They definitely picked the cards. so it was a community decision.”
WTF were the other options?
Presumably not flirting with a best friend's new wife wasn't an option. I mean, I'm pretty hopeful that Richard Curtis was and is one of the good guys, but even fairly recent attitudes had a fair bit of ick (or worse) about them.
Do we not perceive any world where Reform UK supports Labour? Why must we assume they will ally with the Tories?
If Labour were the Opposition then that might be conceivable, but not to prop up an incumbent government, no.
I meant after the election. People assume Reform UK will support the Tories into government.
Do we not perceive any scenario where they actually support Labour?
What if the seats don’t work?
Can Reform support Labour? Yes, if Big Nige wants to, he might easily point to Labour's deportations and reduced immigration as justification for supporting Labour.
Would Reform want to support Labour? Well, both parties' voters probably like increased spending.
So it is certainly possible that Reform will support Labour. Whether it is likely is another matter.
The single most important thing about Reform is that they are against the status quo. So if the next election results in a hung Parliament I would think there's very little chance of Reform supporting the status quo option - of Labour continuing in government.
Yes - I think that is correct.
I further think that they would rule out any coalitions with the existing parties. A weak, minority government of *someone else* is exactly what they would want.
Hitler was offered the deputy chancellor position a whole stack of times, but resolutely refused to take that role, until eventually they ran out of alternative credible chancellors.
Changing the subject, of course.
Do Reform actually want power? I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that they know that the compromises with reality that actual power will entail will not be much fun. Meanwhile, they have the opportunity of being almost as effective in moving the dial on public policy by sitting on the right hand side of both Labour and the Conservatives with the threat of hoovering off votes should either of those parties get too technocratic.
That is, after all, how UKIP effected their #1 policy item without actually having to touch government.
Utlimately, what does Nigel want?
I'm sure he likes the idea of being Prime Minister- what ambitious politician wouldn't? But does he really want the ballsache of doing the job through his late sixties? And if he doesn't, what does he want?
To have a platform, to have people listen to him, to have the excitement of being the guy upsetting the apple cart.
I think that's it, isn't it? Brexit is done, he could have retired happily, job done (and he did leave UKIP leadership, afterall) but I think he missed being in the limelight, which is understandable. Wishing happy birthday to Hugh Janus didn't quite cut it
Actually being PM, I agree, could be his worst nightmare after the first couple of days or so.
He'd be up for PM, I'd have thought. It's the apex of his profession and it grants him an official place in history. His wiki page would have under his picture "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In office: xx/xx/2029 to xx/xx/xx". There's no substitute for that. There's only been 58 PMs (if we count Liz Truss) and he'd be the 59th. It's a different league to "self-styled architect of Brexit" or whatever.
Sure. There's an element of Johnson to it. But I can't help thinking he'd be off fairly soon, having secured said wiki page place. But probably after exceeding Truss's term.
There's also the possibility that he'd just largely outsource the PM job to someone else, while enjoying the trappings of it. Richard Tice, perhaps
Yes, I wouldn't expect a decade of assiduous public service.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
Where were you heading? If you don't mind me asking! £700 almost gets one to Thailand.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
Is the "royal jelly" one with Timothy West in that series?
First one in series two; I expect I'll have watched it soon
Ah ok. Well it's the one I remember most. Creeped me out.
S Korea working out how to have another constitutional crisis.
President's 'orderly resignation' does not conform with Constitution: legal experts
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=388024 The ruling party and prime minister's announcement suggesting President Yoon Suk Yeol's "orderly resignation" is facing growing criticism, as legal experts argue that it constitutes another violation of the country's Constitution.
Additionally, efforts to restrict presidential authority face legal limitations as the president remains commander-in-chief and retains control over the military.
According to experts, the concept of an orderly resignation, which implies an early resignation and exclusion from presidential duties, is not supported by the Constitution.
They pointed out that under the current legal framework, a president cannot transfer or delegate authority while in office, stating that the only constitutional means to suspend presidential powers is through impeachment or resignation...
...Attorney Noh Hee-bum criticized the ruling party's involvement in state affairs, calling it inappropriate and unconstitutional.
"A political party is not a state agency but a political organization that represents and conveys public opinion to state institutions," Noh said.
"How can a political party directly intervene in state affairs or execute administrative powers? Such actions are entirely unjustifiable."
There's no vice President, and the opposition controls parliament, so they're trying to cling on to presidential power, without a President.
Do we not perceive any world where Reform UK supports Labour? Why must we assume they will ally with the Tories?
If Labour were the Opposition then that might be conceivable, but not to prop up an incumbent government, no.
I meant after the election. People assume Reform UK will support the Tories into government.
Do we not perceive any scenario where they actually support Labour?
What if the seats don’t work?
Can Reform support Labour? Yes, if Big Nige wants to, he might easily point to Labour's deportations and reduced immigration as justification for supporting Labour.
Would Reform want to support Labour? Well, both parties' voters probably like increased spending.
So it is certainly possible that Reform will support Labour. Whether it is likely is another matter.
The single most important thing about Reform is that they are against the status quo. So if the next election results in a hung Parliament I would think there's very little chance of Reform supporting the status quo option - of Labour continuing in government.
Yes - I think that is correct.
I further think that they would rule out any coalitions with the existing parties. A weak, minority government of *someone else* is exactly what they would want.
Hitler was offered the deputy chancellor position a whole stack of times, but resolutely refused to take that role, until eventually they ran out of alternative credible chancellors.
Changing the subject, of course.
Do Reform actually want power? I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that they know that the compromises with reality that actual power will entail will not be much fun. Meanwhile, they have the opportunity of being almost as effective in moving the dial on public policy by sitting on the right hand side of both Labour and the Conservatives with the threat of hoovering off votes should either of those parties get too technocratic.
That is, after all, how UKIP effected their #1 policy item without actually having to touch government.
Utlimately, what does Nigel want?
I'm sure he likes the idea of being Prime Minister- what ambitious politician wouldn't? But does he really want the ballsache of doing the job through his late sixties? And if he doesn't, what does he want?
To have a platform, to have people listen to him, to have the excitement of being the guy upsetting the apple cart.
I think that's it, isn't it? Brexit is done, he could have retired happily, job done (and he did leave UKIP leadership, afterall) but I think he missed being in the limelight, which is understandable. Wishing happy birthday to Hugh Janus didn't quite cut it
Actually being PM, I agree, could be his worst nightmare after the first couple of days or so.
He'd be up for PM, I'd have thought. It's the apex of his profession and it grants him an official place in history. His wiki page would have under his picture "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In office: xx/xx/2029 to xx/xx/xx". There's no substitute for that. There's only been 58 PMs (if we count Liz Truss) and he'd be the 59th. It's a different league to "self-styled architect of Brexit" or whatever.
Is being PM really hard work if you think the state shouldn't do very much ?
It's not as though he'd run for re-election, and Brexit shows he doesn't give two hoots about being responsible for something which turns out to be an unpopular mess.
Sounds right up his street. And he'd probably relish the hospital pass to his successor.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
Do we not perceive any world where Reform UK supports Labour? Why must we assume they will ally with the Tories?
If Labour were the Opposition then that might be conceivable, but not to prop up an incumbent government, no.
I meant after the election. People assume Reform UK will support the Tories into government.
Do we not perceive any scenario where they actually support Labour?
What if the seats don’t work?
Can Reform support Labour? Yes, if Big Nige wants to, he might easily point to Labour's deportations and reduced immigration as justification for supporting Labour.
Would Reform want to support Labour? Well, both parties' voters probably like increased spending.
So it is certainly possible that Reform will support Labour. Whether it is likely is another matter.
The single most important thing about Reform is that they are against the status quo. So if the next election results in a hung Parliament I would think there's very little chance of Reform supporting the status quo option - of Labour continuing in government.
Yes - I think that is correct.
I further think that they would rule out any coalitions with the existing parties. A weak, minority government of *someone else* is exactly what they would want.
Hitler was offered the deputy chancellor position a whole stack of times, but resolutely refused to take that role, until eventually they ran out of alternative credible chancellors.
Changing the subject, of course.
Do Reform actually want power? I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that they know that the compromises with reality that actual power will entail will not be much fun. Meanwhile, they have the opportunity of being almost as effective in moving the dial on public policy by sitting on the right hand side of both Labour and the Conservatives with the threat of hoovering off votes should either of those parties get too technocratic.
That is, after all, how UKIP effected their #1 policy item without actually having to touch government.
Utlimately, what does Nigel want?
I'm sure he likes the idea of being Prime Minister- what ambitious politician wouldn't? But does he really want the ballsache of doing the job through his late sixties? And if he doesn't, what does he want?
To have a platform, to have people listen to him, to have the excitement of being the guy upsetting the apple cart.
I think that's it, isn't it? Brexit is done, he could have retired happily, job done (and he did leave UKIP leadership, afterall) but I think he missed being in the limelight, which is understandable. Wishing happy birthday to Hugh Janus didn't quite cut it
Actually being PM, I agree, could be his worst nightmare after the first couple of days or so.
He'd be up for PM, I'd have thought. It's the apex of his profession and it grants him an official place in history. His wiki page would have under his picture "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In office: xx/xx/2029 to xx/xx/xx". There's no substitute for that. There's only been 58 PMs (if we count Liz Truss) and he'd be the 59th. It's a different league to "self-styled architect of Brexit" or whatever.
Is being PM really hard work if you think the state shouldn't do very much ?
It's not as though he'd run for re-election, and Brexit shows he doesn't give two hoots about being responsible for something which turns out to be an unpopular mess.
Sounds right up his street. And he'd probably relish the hospital pass to his successor.
Yes I don't see much downside. If we're to avoid that fate it will have to be by our own efforts. We can't rely on him flubbing it.
Hopefully this is mostly because people were slow to get diagnosed during the pandemic (and/or because health systems were overloaded), and not due to something causal.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I’ve just listened to Ken Clarke’s analysis of the Budget again.
I think he’s right that Reeves completely boxed herself in by promising not to raise certain taxes.
But the question is, if she hadn’t, would it have damaged Labour’s electoral chances?
I was intrigued he supported the changes on farmers.
I think he’s right, she should have raised VAT and fuel duty.
She could hardly have done more damage - Labour could end up third in a poll in the near future.
I am not as convinced as others that this is the end but I am convinced the winter fuel allowance cut was a big mistake.
Ken Clarke is a big supporter of what might be termed a globalist agenda. He has an almost mythical status as someone perceived as a competent Tory COTE, and he did preside over an economy going in the right direction, but recovery was always fairly likely with a good industrial base and (after Black Wednesday) a low pound. He would have made a poor and divisive leader, and though he might have some interesting tactical or presentational advice for Reeves, his policies in this instance would have taken as much money off people, and would therefore have ended up just as unpopular.
I do not perceive there being any way that budget was going to be popular based on the money they needed to raise.
Hunt would have had just the same problem.
The question therefore is. what would be the least unpopular or most long-term impactful changes for the country.
I therefore think the changes to the farmers were and are right.
Winter fuel seems like something they’ll just bring back again so I can’t see how long term it made sense to cut that. Bad decision.
Tax changes to employers. Unsure about this one.
Not raising fuel duty is and was lunacy.
Same for the triple lock. They should have removed that whilst they were at it.
Overall, if they wanted to be unpopular from this budget it’s quite mad they didn’t do more stuff to actually re-balance the economy.
Winter fuel though is politically unsustainable at this point without change.
Why can the size of the civil service not be reduced to pre-Covid numbers? That would have both improved the numbers, and the public's perception that the pain was being heaped on taxpayers while those employed by the state got big pay rises and continued to be shit.
Brexit? I've speculated this before, but the ramp up in numbers coincides, with a short lag, with the referendum. Is it simply that we've had to do more administration ourselves rather than outsourcing to the EU? There must be some roles that we used to pay for as part of the EU and now employ directly ourselves.
Or were the cuts from 2010-2016 simply unsustainable and this is the unwind? We're only a little above 2010 levels with a much larger population.
There needs to be a proper distinction drawn between extra civil servants needed for the brexit process, and extra civil servants needed permanently to administer matters now within our control. It can't be huge numbers because, as pro-europeans enjoy reminding us, the Brussels bureaucracy is actually quite small.
Though creating bits of admin which previously didn't exist and putting all the admin load on one state rather than across 28 can't help.
There's that AJP Taylor extract that a certain kind of small-stater likes to quote,
Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman. He could live where he liked and as he liked. He had no official number or identity card. He could travel abroad or leave his country for ever without a passport or any sort of official permission. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. For that matter, a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police.
If that is your ideal, then Britain post-Brexit is further from it than it was immediately before.
Funny old world.
That world (if it really existed - no tariffs before 1914, really?) was killed by the welfare state. So you do have to be a certain kind of small stater - one who wants to abolish the welfare state as a whole. Bit fringe.
It was killed by the welfare state, that is true.
It also ignores the Aliens Act of 1905, which was designed to prevent the influx of Jews from Eastern Europe (particularly Russia).
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was addressing the hygiene element of such a revelation.
I’ve just listened to Ken Clarke’s analysis of the Budget again.
I think he’s right that Reeves completely boxed herself in by promising not to raise certain taxes.
But the question is, if she hadn’t, would it have damaged Labour’s electoral chances?
I was intrigued he supported the changes on farmers.
I think he’s right, she should have raised VAT and fuel duty.
She could hardly have done more damage - Labour could end up third in a poll in the near future.
I am not as convinced as others that this is the end but I am convinced the winter fuel allowance cut was a big mistake.
Ken Clarke is a big supporter of what might be termed a globalist agenda. He has an almost mythical status as someone perceived as a competent Tory COTE, and he did preside over an economy going in the right direction, but recovery was always fairly likely with a good industrial base and (after Black Wednesday) a low pound. He would have made a poor and divisive leader, and though he might have some interesting tactical or presentational advice for Reeves, his policies in this instance would have taken as much money off people, and would therefore have ended up just as unpopular.
I do not perceive there being any way that budget was going to be popular based on the money they needed to raise.
Hunt would have had just the same problem.
The question therefore is. what would be the least unpopular or most long-term impactful changes for the country.
I therefore think the changes to the farmers were and are right.
Winter fuel seems like something they’ll just bring back again so I can’t see how long term it made sense to cut that. Bad decision.
Tax changes to employers. Unsure about this one.
Not raising fuel duty is and was lunacy.
Same for the triple lock. They should have removed that whilst they were at it.
Overall, if they wanted to be unpopular from this budget it’s quite mad they didn’t do more stuff to actually re-balance the economy.
Winter fuel though is politically unsustainable at this point without change.
Why can the size of the civil service not be reduced to pre-Covid numbers? That would have both improved the numbers, and the public's perception that the pain was being heaped on taxpayers while those employed by the state got big pay rises and continued to be shit.
Brexit? I've speculated this before, but the ramp up in numbers coincides, with a short lag, with the referendum. Is it simply that we've had to do more administration ourselves rather than outsourcing to the EU? There must be some roles that we used to pay for as part of the EU and now employ directly ourselves.
Or were the cuts from 2010-2016 simply unsustainable and this is the unwind? We're only a little above 2010 levels with a much larger population.
There needs to be a proper distinction drawn between extra civil servants needed for the brexit process, and extra civil servants needed permanently to administer matters now within our control. It can't be huge numbers because, as pro-europeans enjoy reminding us, the Brussels bureaucracy is actually quite small.
Though creating bits of admin which previously didn't exist and putting all the admin load on one state rather than across 28 can't help.
There's that AJP Taylor extract that a certain kind of small-stater likes to quote,
Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman. He could live where he liked and as he liked. He had no official number or identity card. He could travel abroad or leave his country for ever without a passport or any sort of official permission. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. For that matter, a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police.
If that is your ideal, then Britain post-Brexit is further from it than it was immediately before.
Funny old world.
That world (if it really existed - no tariffs before 1914, really?) was killed by the welfare state. So you do have to be a certain kind of small stater - one who wants to abolish the welfare state as a whole. Bit fringe.
As a corollary, the practical application of a UBI comes with a whole body of questions about eligibility based on citizenship and residency that imply quite a hard line on border drawing, to an extent that I don't think many supporters of UBI appreciate.
The answer, that many do not like, is that eligibility for a UBI would be strictly linked to citizenship and/or residency.
They do not like it, because the implication is
1) A large number of people would be outside the benefits system. 2) The cost of employing non citizen/resident labour would effectively skyrocket.
Well you or I might think that. But it's not obvious to me that those in power would link UBI to British citizens.
If you simply offered 20K a year for existing here, immigration would get.... interesting.
As it is, the myth in the various bits of the developing world (carefully cultivated) is that you can claim benefits & work here the moment you turn up....
Which isn’t far wrong when we house immigrants and give them money as soon as they claim asylum.
That's just because asylum seekers are forbidden to work for no good reason. If nothing else they could be employed picking up rubbish from parks or city streets. It is absurd that we don't let them and instead have to feed and house them at vast public expense.
Then moan endlessly about how much they cost us.
A doctrinaire and unbelievably stupid policy.
Not allowing asylum seekers to work was a Theresa May thing, wasn't it?
So the first half is likelier than not and the second part can be taken as read.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
Where were you heading? If you don't mind me asking! £700 almost gets one to Thailand.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
1. I dont have to carry my DL 2. My DL is not linked to NHS or HMRC or Social Security etc 3. DL is not mandatory (only if you want to drive)
It is effectively a free-standing voluntary ID card
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
I’ve just listened to Ken Clarke’s analysis of the Budget again.
I think he’s right that Reeves completely boxed herself in by promising not to raise certain taxes.
But the question is, if she hadn’t, would it have damaged Labour’s electoral chances?
I was intrigued he supported the changes on farmers.
I think he’s right, she should have raised VAT and fuel duty.
She could hardly have done more damage - Labour could end up third in a poll in the near future.
I am not as convinced as others that this is the end but I am convinced the winter fuel allowance cut was a big mistake.
Ken Clarke is a big supporter of what might be termed a globalist agenda. He has an almost mythical status as someone perceived as a competent Tory COTE, and he did preside over an economy going in the right direction, but recovery was always fairly likely with a good industrial base and (after Black Wednesday) a low pound. He would have made a poor and divisive leader, and though he might have some interesting tactical or presentational advice for Reeves, his policies in this instance would have taken as much money off people, and would therefore have ended up just as unpopular.
I do not perceive there being any way that budget was going to be popular based on the money they needed to raise.
Hunt would have had just the same problem.
The question therefore is. what would be the least unpopular or most long-term impactful changes for the country.
I therefore think the changes to the farmers were and are right.
Winter fuel seems like something they’ll just bring back again so I can’t see how long term it made sense to cut that. Bad decision.
Tax changes to employers. Unsure about this one.
Not raising fuel duty is and was lunacy.
Same for the triple lock. They should have removed that whilst they were at it.
Overall, if they wanted to be unpopular from this budget it’s quite mad they didn’t do more stuff to actually re-balance the economy.
Winter fuel though is politically unsustainable at this point without change.
Why can the size of the civil service not be reduced to pre-Covid numbers? That would have both improved the numbers, and the public's perception that the pain was being heaped on taxpayers while those employed by the state got big pay rises and continued to be shit.
Brexit? I've speculated this before, but the ramp up in numbers coincides, with a short lag, with the referendum. Is it simply that we've had to do more administration ourselves rather than outsourcing to the EU? There must be some roles that we used to pay for as part of the EU and now employ directly ourselves.
Or were the cuts from 2010-2016 simply unsustainable and this is the unwind? We're only a little above 2010 levels with a much larger population.
There needs to be a proper distinction drawn between extra civil servants needed for the brexit process, and extra civil servants needed permanently to administer matters now within our control. It can't be huge numbers because, as pro-europeans enjoy reminding us, the Brussels bureaucracy is actually quite small.
Though creating bits of admin which previously didn't exist and putting all the admin load on one state rather than across 28 can't help.
There's that AJP Taylor extract that a certain kind of small-stater likes to quote,
Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman. He could live where he liked and as he liked. He had no official number or identity card. He could travel abroad or leave his country for ever without a passport or any sort of official permission. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. For that matter, a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police.
If that is your ideal, then Britain post-Brexit is further from it than it was immediately before.
Funny old world.
That world (if it really existed - no tariffs before 1914, really?) was killed by the welfare state. So you do have to be a certain kind of small stater - one who wants to abolish the welfare state as a whole. Bit fringe.
As a corollary, the practical application of a UBI comes with a whole body of questions about eligibility based on citizenship and residency that imply quite a hard line on border drawing, to an extent that I don't think many supporters of UBI appreciate.
The answer, that many do not like, is that eligibility for a UBI would be strictly linked to citizenship and/or residency.
They do not like it, because the implication is
1) A large number of people would be outside the benefits system. 2) The cost of employing non citizen/resident labour would effectively skyrocket.
Well you or I might think that. But it's not obvious to me that those in power would link UBI to British citizens.
If you simply offered 20K a year for existing here, immigration would get.... interesting.
As it is, the myth in the various bits of the developing world (carefully cultivated) is that you can claim benefits & work here the moment you turn up....
Which isn’t far wrong when we house immigrants and give them money as soon as they claim asylum.
That's just because asylum seekers are forbidden to work for no good reason. If nothing else they could be employed picking up rubbish from parks or city streets. It is absurd that we don't let them and instead have to feed and house them at vast public expense.
Then moan endlessly about how much they cost us.
A doctrinaire and unbelievably stupid policy.
Not allowing asylum seekers to work was a Theresa May thing, wasn't it?
So the first half is likelier than not and the second part can be taken as read.
Earlier, under Tony Blair. One of his I'm a tough guy not a bleeding heart liberal policies.
The idea was that a large number of asylum seekers were not genuinely fleeing persecution but were economic migrants. So if you forbade them from working you would reduce the incentive for them to come at all. I think it's one of the cruel and destructive aspects of the current system.
Either way the long period of time that it takes to reach a decision is the main problem.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
Perhaps Dahl changed the ending to fit the narrative of "Tales of the Unexpected".
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
I've known a couple of people do the "Travel around Africa/world with next to no luggage" - buying and giving away t-shirts was a part of it. Not enquired what they did for underwear, probably similar.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
Underwear doesnt take up much space - depending on the climate you only need one spare pair of trousers - two or three t-shirts - a pair of shorts - minimum toiletries. And just top up as needed. Very doable.
Just to add some balance here, out there in the real world most of us like Love Actually and overlook any overthought “creepiness”, noting that it’s a fantasy world.
To tie this in with polling, it is actually tied with well-loved Christmas film Die Hard as Britain’s third favourite.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
Yep that works as part of an MO for 'travelling light'. Nothing wrong there.
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
You answered your own question.
Last time I reported a crime was my car being broken into....they dropped a watch...would have dna possibly and likely fingerprints. Police interest was all is it an expensive watch...when told no it was heres a crime number bye. Frankly I would see no difference if we sacked most of the police and just kept the serious crimes lot nor would most people I suspect
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
Underwear doesnt take up much space - depending on the climate you only need one spare pair of trousers - two or three t-shirts - a pair of shorts - minimum toiletries. And just top up as needed. Very doable.
If you buy Lululemon (or Temu knockoffs), you can get extremely lightweight trousers and polo shirts. If you know any aircrew, they almost all use those for offduty clothing, simply because they packup so small.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
When I lived in Wiltshire, my idiot boss had spinners on his Japanese import. This was long before Fast and Furious, but a 45 year old bloke trying to be an LA street racer was his least offence. The locals hated him.
On my birthday, at the pub, the locals gave me the spinners (all wrapped) as a present. They hated him as a loser as well. I didn't touch them, and told them to put them back. They were very expensive, IIRC.
The next morning, he called me in. His hubcaps had been stolen and since I drank with the locals he wondered if i could ask around.
The spinners turned up on his car that night.
He gave the impression, after that, that he thought I was... a bit worrying. Obviously, I was running the local scene....
I've got.a day off (my second last before Christmas, last is a week Friday), and I've been watching the first series of Tales Of The Unexpected from 1979 on Amazon
I'm loving it
Episode 2, Mrs Bixby And The Colonel's Coat, has Michael Hordern as Mr Bixby. I met him when I was about ten years old; we went to the same school - sixty six years apart, he was there for some prize day when I won a maths prize. He said "well done Blanche" as he handed me my £5 book token
Episode 4, Lamb To The Slaughter, stars Brian Blessed as a cop. I think it's my favourite episode so far
No spoiler alert.
I like the one where a vagrant is found to have his back tattooed by a now celebrated and valuable artist. Various art dealers discuss how much they would pay him to have the skin safely surgically removed, but in the end some benevolent soul offers him board and lodging on his private beach in the South of France where he can walk around topless and the world can enjoy the masterpiece...
There was an old, comic story about a chap who gets a back tattoo from a famous artist. Hijinks ensue - the artist suddenly become internationally famous, resulting in the tattooed chap being unable to leave France (?) because he would be exporting a work of art…
Trying to remember who wrote it.
Based on.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
I'm trying to remember who write the original short story - someone of note, IIRC.
Roald Dahl.
I looked at that one - it is similar, but the ending is very different. I think the one I read was earlier than Dahl.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
1. I dont have to carry my DL 2. My DL is not linked to NHS or HMRC or Social Security etc 3. DL is not mandatory (only if you want to drive)
It is effectively a free-standing voluntary ID card
I think you would be quite surprised by what your driving licence is linked to. I just turned 70 which meant I needed a new driving licence. Getting a new one was both very impressive and scary at the same time. I think you can apply up to 3 months early and expecting it to be a useless process I did so as soon as I could. I went online to do so and got the new licence within 2 or 3 days. It must have been processed and sent within minutes of me completing the online form. However the verification process was scary with links to every possible government record of me to verify who I said I was. You name it they knew about it or asked me about it so they could verify me against those records eg passport, NI number, etc.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
When I was a student I found the radiator to be handy for such an enterprise. Although to get the full benefit of freshly laundered and dry shorts at least two pairs were a requirement. At Uni one always held onto the unlikely hope that a nubile student might visit and as a former boy scout preparedness was the watchword. I was seldom that lucky and the laundry hack was thankfully where the similarity with Jimmy Savile began and ended.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
When I lived in Wiltshire, my idiot boss had spinners on his Japanese import. This was long before Fast and Furious, but a 45 year old bloke trying to be an LA street racer was his least offence. The locals hated him.
On my birthday, at the pub, the locals gave me the spinners (all wrapped) as a present. They hated him as a loser as well. I didn't touch them, and told them to put them back. They were very expensive, IIRC.
The next morning, he called me in. His hubcaps had been stolen and since I drank with the locals he wondered if i could ask around.
The spinners turned up on his car that night.
He gave the impression, after that, that he thought I was... a bit worrying. Obviously, I was running the local scene....
Should have mailed them to him with no postage paid
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
You answered your own question.
Last time I reported a crime was my car being broken into....they dropped a watch...would have dna possibly and likely fingerprints. Police interest was all is it an expensive watch...when told no it was heres a crime number bye. Frankly I would see no difference if we sacked most of the police and just kept the serious crimes lot nor would most people I suspect
Look: I agree that - since the coalition government slashed spending in 2010 - policing and the courts has been cut back far too much.
HOWEVER. I'm not sure there is any country in the world where the police are going to be interested in DNA evidence for anything less than rape.
Running that shit down is expensive, and (even assuming you are able to track the person down) then all the accused has to say is "I don't know how the DNA got there, and I certainly didn't break into the car", and that has reasonable doubt written all over it.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
The New Jersey drones issue goes on. The FAA has put in some restrictions in certain areas, and some local officials are complaining about the lack of action about drones.over Trump's estate.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
So the burglars sell it back to you? They probably do better than fencing it, I suppose.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
When I lived in Wiltshire, my idiot boss had spinners on his Japanese import. This was long before Fast and Furious, but a 45 year old bloke trying to be an LA street racer was his least offence. The locals hated him.
On my birthday, at the pub, the locals gave me the spinners (all wrapped) as a present. They hated him as a loser as well. I didn't touch them, and told them to put them back. They were very expensive, IIRC.
The next morning, he called me in. His hubcaps had been stolen and since I drank with the locals he wondered if i could ask around.
The spinners turned up on his car that night.
He gave the impression, after that, that he thought I was... a bit worrying. Obviously, I was running the local scene....
Should have mailed them to him with no postage paid
Hopefully this is mostly because people were slow to get diagnosed during the pandemic (and/or because health systems were overloaded), and not due to something causal.
Its not impossible. There is growing evidence for the role of pathogens as initiators for cancer (see the campaign for HPV vaccination partly to stop cervical cancers). However we are at a very early stage, and there is a tendency to frame everything in terms of covid because it was a huge event. My mother died recently of cancer and there is always a chance that covid was involved, except she never knowingly had covid and she was 79. As humans we tend to spot patterns in everything. When I was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 39 I became very worried about the small piece of metal wire in my leg (left there after surgery). In reality I was attaching false significance to this, but at the time I became convinced that I needed it removed.
Time will tell. A close eye on incidence rates.
However, a bit like BSE, there is little we can do NOW, as most everyone has had covid...
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
You answered your own question.
Last time I reported a crime was my car being broken into....they dropped a watch...would have dna possibly and likely fingerprints. Police interest was all is it an expensive watch...when told no it was heres a crime number bye. Frankly I would see no difference if we sacked most of the police and just kept the serious crimes lot nor would most people I suspect
Look: I agree that - since the coalition government slashed spending in 2010 - policing and the courts has been cut back far too much.
HOWEVER. I'm not sure there is any country in the world where the police are going to be interested in DNA evidence for anything less than rape.
Running that shit down is expensive, and (even assuming you are able to track the person down) then all the accused has to say is "I don't know how the DNA got there, and I certainly didn't break into the car", and that has reasonable doubt written all over it.
Fingerprints are cheaper and I suspect a watch would have provided them. As it was the impression left was frankly I didn't merit any effort expended even though damage to the car from them breaking in was several hundred even if what they stole was about 5£.
When my house got broken into a few years later therefore I didn't talk to the police. I got my stuff back and the NHS got to patch up the burglars
Hopefully this is mostly because people were slow to get diagnosed during the pandemic (and/or because health systems were overloaded), and not due to something causal.
Its not impossible. There is growing evidence for the role of pathogens as initiators for cancer (see the campaign for HPV vaccination partly to stop cervical cancers). However we are at a very early stage, and there is a tendency to frame everything in terms of covid because it was a huge event. My mother died recently of cancer and there is always a chance that covid was involved, except she never knowingly had covid and she was 79. As humans we tend to spot patterns in everything. When I was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 39 I became very worried about the small piece of metal wire in my leg (left there after surgery). In reality I was attaching false significance to this, but at the time I became convinced that I needed it removed.
Time will tell. A close eye on incidence rates.
However, a bit like BSE, there is little we can do NOW, as most everyone has had covid...
Oh yes, humans are great at seeing faces in the clouds.
And -as you say- there's not a lot we can do about it now.
Hopefully, the vaccines provided a decent amount of protection.
I hope Assad has been allocated a flat in the Projects. Perhaps next to Snowdon.
He's worth about $2 billion. Or was. I'm sure he'll have access to a few tens of millions, at least.
Sadly, it doesn't always go badly for ex-dictators. Imelda Marcos is 95 years old, and her son is now the president.
Hmmm. Probably easier said than done, particularly if the cash is in the West. How much USD can one get into a 23kg suitcase?
~1g per $100 bill, so $2.3m.
Worth paying for extra baggage allowance.
Even with Ryanair?
cost you $3M
The 'beauty' of Ryanair is you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, you don't get it.
OKC, unfortunately nowadays you pay for it and you don't get it
Few years since I've (been able/ had any need) to use Ryanair, and while I don't like the company (and especially the seats) they do what they say they'll do.
If you follow their rules and pay what they ask.
in many cases they are far from cheap nowadays
our recent flights were 700 and almost 300 for luggage. OK if you can survive with what's on your back and one spare pair of underpants
By his admission to his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Gregg Wallace wouldn't require the spare underpants.
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was responding to the hygiene element of such a revelation.
Funny how the mind works but this reminds me of Jimmy Savile's revelation that he owned just one pair of underpants and would handwash them every night in the sink. I remember hearing that - well before all the revelations - and thinking there's something not right here.
I know a couple who did a world trip on hand luggage only including two or three pairs of undergarments each. They washed the 'used' ones every night and every couple of weeks went to a local market and bought cheap replacements.
I've known a couple of people do the "Travel around Africa/world with next to no luggage" - buying and giving away t-shirts was a part of it. Not enquired what they did for underwear, probably similar.
I remember once being at Paris de Gaulle, waiting for my bag, taking a while, items thinning out, and then what appeared (on the belt) was a pair of balled-up socks. They went round a couple of times and then this guy just sauntered up and claimed them, plucked them off the belt and walked off towards the exit gate. One of the coolest things I've ever seen. Total Steve McQueen.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
So the burglars sell it back to you? They probably do better than fencing it, I suppose.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
I'm just imagining the scene
- "That's the third recovery this week. We can make good money on this." - "My lad did forensics at Uni. We could get organised and do fingerprints and DNA." - "Setup a business? Advertise? Uniforms...."
The New Jersey drones issue goes on. The FAA has put in some restrictions in certain areas, and some local officials are complaining about the lack of action about drones.over Trump's estate.
What is the FAA's take on lab leaks in Wuhan and Just.Three.Words. ?
Only the Guardian could publish a letter from its own staff (in this case on the Observer sale) and then list the dozens of names who signed below in alphabetical order - but get the order wrong!!
In fact it breaks down completely in the second half once we have been through the alphabet once.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
1. I dont have to carry my DL 2. My DL is not linked to NHS or HMRC or Social Security etc 3. DL is not mandatory (only if you want to drive)
It is effectively a free-standing voluntary ID card
I think you would be quite surprised by what your driving licence is linked to. I just turned 70 which meant I needed a new driving licence. Getting a new one was both very impressive and scary at the same time. I think you can apply up to 3 months early and expecting it to be a useless process I did so as soon as I could. I went online to do so and got the new licence within 2 or 3 days. It must have been processed and sent within minutes of me completing the online form. However the verification process was scary with links to every possible government record of me to verify who I said I was. You name it they knew about it or asked me about it so they could verify me against those records eg passport, NI number, etc.
That's because your records aren't linked. They would put in a request to look you up on the passport and NI databases....
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
Do you live in a post apocalyptic dystopia?
Well if the definition is the police won't bother when you are the victim of a crime then yes I do
Just to add some balance here, out there in the real world most of us like Love Actually and overlook any overthought “creepiness”, noting that it’s a fantasy world.
To tie this in with polling, it is actually tied with well-loved Christmas film Die Hard as Britain’s third favourite.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
So the burglars sell it back to you? They probably do better than fencing it, I suppose.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
No it wasn't the burglars, just talked to some people I know and they got it back for me and administered a sharp rebuke. It was a laptop and I needed it as had a load of stuff on it
Hopefully this is mostly because people were slow to get diagnosed during the pandemic (and/or because health systems were overloaded), and not due to something causal.
Its not impossible. There is growing evidence for the role of pathogens as initiators for cancer (see the campaign for HPV vaccination partly to stop cervical cancers). However we are at a very early stage, and there is a tendency to frame everything in terms of covid because it was a huge event. My mother died recently of cancer and there is always a chance that covid was involved, except she never knowingly had covid and she was 79. As humans we tend to spot patterns in everything. When I was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 39 I became very worried about the small piece of metal wire in my leg (left there after surgery). In reality I was attaching false significance to this, but at the time I became convinced that I needed it removed.
Time will tell. A close eye on incidence rates.
However, a bit like BSE, there is little we can do NOW, as most everyone has had covid...
Oh yes, humans are great at seeing faces in the clouds.
And -as you say- there's not a lot we can do about it now.
Hopefully, the vaccines provided a decent amount of protection.
Or indeed 'drones' in the night sky near airports...
People seem to want to regard covid as a 'different' pathogen, and attribute to it miraculous powers. I'm not quite sure why this is, other than the trauma of what happened across the world as countries were forced to adopt tough measures. I'd be interested to see whether studies of cancer rates post MERS and SARS have been looked at in the same way.
Only the Guardian could publish a letter from its own staff (in this case on the Observer sale) and then list the dozens of names who signed below in alphabetical order - but get the order wrong!!
In fact it breaks down completely in the second half once we have been through the alphabet once.
Just to add some balance here, out there in the real world most of us like Love Actually and overlook any overthought “creepiness”, noting that it’s a fantasy world.
To tie this in with polling, it is actually tied with well-loved Christmas film Die Hard as Britain’s third favourite.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
So the burglars sell it back to you? They probably do better than fencing it, I suppose.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
No it wasn't the burglars, just talked to some people I know and they got it back for me and administered a sharp rebuke. It was a laptop and I needed it as had a load of stuff on it
That sounds a bit dodgy, Pagan. You could be flirting with trouble there.
I dont object to having an official ID Card. But I would object to having it on my phone - or being mandated to carry it - or it being linked to a big brother database. In other words a bit like a simplified passport.
Do you drive? If you do you are mandated to carry a card linked to a big brother database that acts like a simplified passport.
There's no requirement to carry the card.
Only because if you tell them your name and date of birth they have all your details to hand. I carry it in case I get asked my age down the off licence.
The only thing you should ever say to the police is "Are you detaining me" and if they say yes "Lawyer"
I would not recommend this approach when reporting a crime.
Why would I report a crime apart from needing a crime number its not lot the police will do anything about it in any case. Note I am not on twitter or facebook so no NCHI's to report
If I get burgalled I call a non police based group and more likely to get my stuff back for a finders fee
So the burglars sell it back to you? They probably do better than fencing it, I suppose.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
No it wasn't the burglars, just talked to some people I know and they got it back for me and administered a sharp rebuke. It was a laptop and I needed it as had a load of stuff on it
That sounds a bit dodgy, Pagan. You could be flirting with trouble there.
Well as the police don't bother its unlikely I will be caught so who cares
With Sednaya in the news, this popped up from 2019.
You couldn't make it up.
#France's far-right meet with #Assad & celebrate by drinking Cotes Du Rhone in #Sednaya - home to #Syria's infamous prison & its bespoke crematorium, where ~3,000 people are executed each year, each signed off by Grand Mufti Hassoun, who they also met! https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/1168907417784131587
There seems to be a liking for brutal dictators with some people on the alt right. I came across a clip the other day of an American emitter called Stew Peters. An absolute nutcase and nasty with it. A must miss if you ever get the chance.
There's a similarly inexplicable affinity between people on the left and those violently seeking the establishment of a global caliphate. Progressive alliance I think it's called.
Arizona Senate. Estimated 88 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,484,205 49.7 Kari Lake GOP 1,436,045 48.1 Eduardo Quintana GRN 63,582 2.1
Lead: 48,160
Arizona Senate. Estimated 88.9 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,500,850 49.8 Kari Lake GOP 1,449,464 48.1 Eduardo Quintana GRN 64,552 2.1
Lead: 51,386
Arizona Senate. Estimated 91.8 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,555,426 50.0 Kari Lake GOP 1,488,733 47.8 Eduardo Quintana GRN 67,961 2.2
Lead: 66,693
Arizona Senate. Estimated 93.1 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,574,597 50.0 Kari Lake GOP 1,505,837 47.8 Eduardo Quintana GRN 69,107 2.2
Lead 68,760
Arizona Senate. Estimated 94.6 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,600,923 50.0 Kari Lake GOP 1,528,297 47.8 Eduardo Quintana GRN 70,678 2.2
Lead 72,626.
Gallego (D) is projected to win by the Associated Press.
Arizona Senate. Estimated 95.8 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,618,527 50.0 Kari Lake GOP 1,545,791 47.8 Eduardo Quintana GRN 71,869 2.2
Lead 72,736
Gallego (D) is projected to win by the Associated Press.
Arizona Senate. Estimated 98.4 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,663,717 50.1 Kari Lake GOP 1,584,450 47.7 Eduardo Quintana GRN 74,925 2.3
Lead 79,267
Gallego (D) is projected to win by the Associated Press
Arizona Senate. Estimated 98.7 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,669,135 50.1 Kari Lake GOP 1,589,790 47.7 Eduardo Quintana GRN 75,337 2.3
Lead 79,345
Gallego (D) is projected to win by the Associated Press.
Arizona Senate. Estimated 99 percent of votes have been counted.
Votes received and percentages of total vote Candidate Votes Pct. Ruben Gallego DEM 1,673,689 50.1 Kari Lake GOP 1,592,919 47.7 Eduardo Quintana GRN 75,630 2.3
Lead 80,770
Gallego (D) is projected to win by the Associated Press.
Arizona Senate. 100 percent of votes counted at Nov 25
Votes received and percentages of total vote
Ruben Gallego Democrat 1,676,335 50.1% Kari Lake Republican 1,595,761 47.7% Eduardo Quintana Green 75,868 2.3% Total reported 3,347,964 Lead 80,574
Saydnaya Prison sounds like Tuol Sleng, under Comrade Duch.
Different pedigree.
As Assad's prisons open, another mind-boggling fact to recall. After '45, Syria took in many senior nazis and weaponry. Among them: Alois Brunner--Eichmann's lieutenant. Alois Brunner designed Assad's systems. He died only in 2010.
The Syrian regime(s), right from post independence, were considered the most paranoid and nasty in the area. Even by the standards of the other dictatorships.
Remember that just yesterday, a poster was saying that we should have supported Assad in the civil war.
To be fair, Assad used chemical weapons against civilians. Which are apparently more merciful.
That is the defence of Churchill's call for chemical weapons to be used against Iraqi citizens back in the day: that tear gas is kinder than bullets and bombs. If you want to boycott £5 notes, I can help with that.
Tear gas is more merciful than bullets and bombs. Which is why police forces around he world use it.
Chlorine, Sulphur Mustard and Sarin aren’t.
Tear gas is no fun. Any other PBers been tear-gassed?
But I'm glad the Italian cops weren't using mustard gas.
They made sure we got a big whiff of CS gas in initial officer training in the RAF, and we usually got a whiff every year in annual NBC training. I turned out to have a below-average sensitivity to it, fortunately for me. I still wouldn't want to be stuck in clouds of the stuff, but I never found it that bad.
Comments
The plans changed somewhat when I discovered that the TUI flights with hand luggage included was cheaper than what easyJet wanted for luggage and seat selection alone (after the £1000 they wanted for the flights). TUI was £375 for 3 of us all in
Twin a is still flying with easyJet but from Gatwick which even after the £70 train fare was £200 less than easyJet wanted form Manchester
"Stalemate and containment will define Syria’s highly destructive civil war. The beleaguered president, Bashar al-Assad, will hold off attempts to overthrow his regime without achieving the overthrow of his enemies. Outsiders, including the US and Iran, on the same side for once, will provide sufficient aid to halt the advance of Islamic State, but not enough to dismantle it."
https://www.economist.com/news/2014/11/13/syria
2) Frame for treason / murder
3) ?
Trying to remember who wrote it.
£700 almost gets one to Thailand.
President's 'orderly resignation' does not conform with Constitution: legal experts
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=388024
The ruling party and prime minister's announcement suggesting President Yoon Suk Yeol's "orderly resignation" is facing growing criticism, as legal experts argue that it constitutes another violation of the country's Constitution.
Additionally, efforts to restrict presidential authority face legal limitations as the president remains commander-in-chief and retains control over the military.
According to experts, the concept of an orderly resignation, which implies an early resignation and exclusion from presidential duties, is not supported by the Constitution.
They pointed out that under the current legal framework, a president cannot transfer or delegate authority while in office, stating that the only constitutional means to suspend presidential powers is through impeachment or resignation...
...Attorney Noh Hee-bum criticized the ruling party's involvement in state affairs, calling it inappropriate and unconstitutional.
"A political party is not a state agency but a political organization that represents and conveys public opinion to state institutions," Noh said.
"How can a political party directly intervene in state affairs or execute administrative powers? Such actions are entirely unjustifiable."
There's no vice President, and the opposition controls parliament, so they're trying to cling on to presidential power, without a President.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhBd0bmzCns
My wife just passed this on to me:
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2024/06/12/covid-cancer
Hopefully this is mostly because people were slow to get diagnosed during the pandemic (and/or because health systems were overloaded), and not due to something causal.
I deliberately avoided to note any unexpected twist to the tale, if of course there was one.
It also ignores the Aliens Act of 1905, which was designed to prevent the influx of Jews from Eastern Europe (particularly Russia).
My wife's response to that astonishing admission was "dirty bastard", and I think she was addressing the hygiene element of such a revelation.
His plan was to swan about being lauded by all and sundry.
Instead he got Covid (in both senses)
So the first half is likelier than not and the second part can be taken as read.
2. My DL is not linked to NHS or HMRC or Social Security etc
3. DL is not mandatory (only if you want to drive)
It is effectively a free-standing voluntary ID card
The idea was that a large number of asylum seekers were not genuinely fleeing persecution but were economic migrants. So if you forbade them from working you would reduce the incentive for them to come at all. I think it's one of the cruel and destructive aspects of the current system.
Either way the long period of time that it takes to reach a decision is the main problem.
I have seen it since and it wasn't as offensive as I remembered.
https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Bac.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Sold_His_Skin
To tie this in with polling, it is actually tied with well-loved Christmas film Die Hard as Britain’s third favourite.
https://yougov.co.uk/entertainment/articles/33528-public-has-spoken-elf-best-christmas-film
On my birthday, at the pub, the locals gave me the spinners (all wrapped) as a present. They hated him as a loser as well. I didn't touch them, and told them to put them back. They were very expensive, IIRC.
The next morning, he called me in. His hubcaps had been stolen and since I drank with the locals he wondered if i could ask around.
The spinners turned up on his car that night.
He gave the impression, after that, that he thought I was... a bit worrying. Obviously, I was running the local scene....
HOWEVER. I'm not sure there is any country in the world where the police are going to be interested in DNA evidence for anything less than rape.
Running that shit down is expensive, and (even assuming you are able to track the person down) then all the accused has to say is "I don't know how the DNA got there, and I certainly didn't break into the car", and that has reasonable doubt written all over it.
The New Jersey drones issue goes on. The FAA has put in some restrictions in certain areas, and some local officials are complaining about the lack of action about drones.over Trump's estate.
Not sure why you'd want to encourage crime, but hey ho.
Time will tell. A close eye on incidence rates.
However, a bit like BSE, there is little we can do NOW, as most everyone has had covid...
When my house got broken into a few years later therefore I didn't talk to the police. I got my stuff back and the NHS got to patch up the burglars
And -as you say- there's not a lot we can do about it now.
Hopefully, the vaccines provided a decent amount of protection.
- "That's the third recovery this week. We can make good money on this."
- "My lad did forensics at Uni. We could get organised and do fingerprints and DNA."
- "Setup a business? Advertise? Uniforms...."
Only the Guardian could publish a letter from its own staff (in this case on the Observer sale) and then list the dozens of names who signed below in alphabetical order - but get the order wrong!!
In fact it breaks down completely in the second half once we have been through the alphabet once.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/09/key-questions-about-the-sale-of-the-observer-that-remain-unanswered?CMP=share_btn_url
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/duncan-ferguson-burglar-nearly-killed-29168546
Local officials complain about NJ drones.
NEW THREAD
People seem to want to regard covid as a 'different' pathogen, and attribute to it miraculous powers. I'm not quite sure why this is, other than the trauma of what happened across the world as countries were forced to adopt tough measures. I'd be interested to see whether studies of cancer rates post MERS and SARS have been looked at in the same way.
"Most of us" ? - citation, please.
Here's a fair assessment of the pros and cons.
https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/revisiting-love-actually-20-year-anniversary-1235802104/
The pros basically amount to "it had an incredible cast", and "Curtis could still write a few good lines".
On balance - just effing awful.
Votes received and percentages of total vote
Ruben Gallego Democrat 1,676,335 50.1%
Kari Lake Republican 1,595,761 47.7%
Eduardo Quintana Green 75,868 2.3%
Total reported 3,347,964
Lead 80,574
Gallego (D) was certified as the winner on Nov 25
I turned out to have a below-average sensitivity to it, fortunately for me. I still wouldn't want to be stuck in clouds of the stuff, but I never found it that bad.