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5 months ago the Conservatives were the 1/10 favourites to win the Canadian election

24

Comments

  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,605
    RobD said:

    CatMan said:

    I don't mean to shock you, but there's evidence that water companies might be acting a bit dodgy...

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/23/ofwat-investigating-rip-off-cost-of-water-firms-infrastructure-works

    "A report by the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (Wasp) has found that upgrading a sewage works serving the Oxford area will cost £435m, more than 10 times the £40m cost quoted when the project was proposed. The sewage works is expected to serve between 255,000 and 267,000 people.

    In comparison, it cost £29m to build a new sewage works in Assens, Denmark, where the cost of living is on average 13% above that of the UK and the cost of water and sewerage is one of the highest in Europe. It was designed to cater for a population of 100,000, with the capacity to upgrade to 150,000. Sewage treatment works cost less to build in the US, too, where the benchmark cost for a new plant serving approximately a million people is £248m.
    "

    Is there an unbiased source for that estimate?
    The £435m ? I believe it comes directly from Thames Water.

    You can read the pressure group’s post on the topic here: https://www.windrushwasp.org/single-post/it-pays-to-cheat & there’s a link to a more detailed deep dive pdf in that blog post.
  • (4/5)

    Zonal pricing is an excellent idea and shows Labour is not a party of the south.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
    .
    DavidL said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    They were wrong. I see no reason to dislike them, particularly if they are not even American and did not have a vote.
    Those who were genuinely mistaken, certainly.
    Those who continue to fanboi Trump, on the other hand...
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 44,087

    malcolmg said:

    tlg86 said:

    Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

    The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/23/miliband-set-to-back-switch-to-regional-electricity-pricing/
    Flag Quote · Like

    National Grid. The clue is in the name.
    Like NHS , at present we produce all the cheap energy which goes to London and comes back at multiple times the price. Suck it up. Southern subsidy junkies
    How is this like the NHS? There is now a separate NHS England and NHS Scotland.

    And https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c3c688d40f0b67c62695b27/Regional_Electricity_Generation_and_Supply.pdf says Scotland produces 14% of the UK’s electricity (2017 figures), including 52% of renewables.
    how much do we use and how much do we pay for it , and as for initial question why not a scottish grid
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
    DavidL said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    eek said:

    Nissan has just said that Sunderland and the UK is no longer a competitive place to build cars

    https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25109061.nissan-boss-says-sunderland-uk-not-competitive-place/

    The location of Nissan's plant (and the fact that they have the capability to build large scale battery storage), mean they would be ideally situated to benefit from zonal pricing of electricity.
    ...Alan Johnson, the senior vice president for manufacturing, supply chain and Purchasing for Nissan’s Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania operations, told members of the House of Commons’ Business and Trade Committee that the Sunderland factory “pays more for its electricity than any other Nissan plant in the world”...

    An extremely good example of how it might work.
    We desperately need to find ways to incentivise manufacturing and investment in the poorer parts of the country. It is frankly incredible we have not done this already. Pre Brexit such possibilities got bogged down in EU competition law. That should no longer be the case.
    Zonal pricing of electricity might be a part of that.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 127,011
    edited 5:00PM
    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    Couldn't be clearer he actively supports Russia, not just doesn't want to support Ukraine.
    Not really, if he was he would be sending arms and funds to Moscow.

    Instead he is leaving the rest of NATO to fund Zelensky while he focuses on his
    economic war with China
    which he see as the real threat to the US not his fellow conservative white male and nationalist Putin
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 44,087

    malcolmg said:

    tlg86 said:

    Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

    The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/23/miliband-set-to-back-switch-to-regional-electricity-pricing/
    Flag Quote · Like

    National Grid. The clue is in the name.
    Like NHS , at present we produce all the cheap energy which goes to London and comes back at multiple times the price. Suck it up. Southern subsidy junkies
    Bollocks. Wind farms in Scotland are coining it from constraint payments that the whole country (including Scotland) pays through green levies on electricity bills. Scotland's green energy revolution is a complete scam.
    bollox your deluded, typical southern grifter
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,368
    DavidL said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    They were wrong. I see no reason to dislike them, particularly if they are not even American and did not have a vote.
    I deeply feel for them. I really do.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686

    Nigelb said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    US law forbids recognition of Russian sovereignty in Crimea, without the approval of Congress.
    US law does not apply to Trump. We know that by now.
    Jul 28, 2018, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "Today, the Trump administration is releasing what we’re calling the Crimea Declaration. ... I want to assure this committee that the U.S. does not and will not recognize the Kremlin’s purported annexation of Crimea."
    https://x.com/OstapYarysh/status/1915067818510356847
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,395
    A judge has ordered that Scottish schools must provide single-sex lavatories for pupils after parents won a legal fight against a council which insisted on installing only gender-neutral facilities.

    In a case hailed as the “first of many” in which the rights of women and girls will be upheld following last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Scottish Borders council conceded it had been wrong to flout the law by installing no sex-segregated bathrooms at the new Earlston Primary School.

    Lady Ross KC said she would issue a declarator, a court order, making legal obligations on Scottish state schools clear after Sean Stratford and Leigh Hurley brought a judicial review over their concerns around transgender policies at Earlston, where their son Ethan, eight, was a pupil.


    https://www.thetimes.com/article/4e7c7355-1798-45fb-bb9b-07aca88ff612?shareToken=963e3961fb39e9dd4a7bd6d4672cef7f
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 23,415
    Nigelb said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    US law forbids recognition of Russian sovereignty in Crimea, without the approval of Congress.
    Cute that you think Trump cares about US law.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,012
    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,806
    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    tlg86 said:

    Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

    The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/23/miliband-set-to-back-switch-to-regional-electricity-pricing/
    Flag Quote · Like

    National Grid. The clue is in the name.
    Like NHS , at present we produce all the cheap energy which goes to London and comes back at multiple times the price. Suck it up. Southern subsidy junkies
    Bollocks. Wind farms in Scotland are coining it from constraint payments that the whole country (including Scotland) pays through green levies on electricity bills. Scotland's green energy revolution is a complete scam.
    bollox your deluded, typical southern grifter
    I live in Scotland?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,368
    algarkirk said:

    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.

    Greater than Tim Farron? I somehow doubt that.
  • AlanbrookeAlanbrooke Posts: 25,784
    fk Ellie Reeves is just as robotic as her sister.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,546
    HYUFD said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    Couldn't be clearer he actively supports Russia, not just doesn't want to support Ukraine.
    Not really, if he was he would be sending arms and funds to Moscow.

    Instead he is leaving the rest of NATO to fund Zelensky while he focuses on his
    economic war with China
    which he see as the real threat to the US not his fellow conservative white male and nationalist Putin
    You're fooling yourself.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 30,145
    Fishing said:

    Eabhal said:

    FPT

    malcolmg said:

    Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

    The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/23/miliband-set-to-back-switch-to-regional-electricity-pricing/

    yaba daba doo ours should plummet if honesty prevails, but I will not hold my breath.
    Yep, Scotland should be significantly cheaper. I guess they would go for a diluted version though, rather than a price that actually reflects transmission costs.

    It's difficult to see any downsides. Regional pricing does two things - it reduces transmission costs by incentivising consumption closer to generation, and stimulates generation YIMBYism.

    While England banned onshore wind for 9 years, Scotland ploughed on regardless. Why shouldn't people in Scotland, who have embraced new power generation, not benefit? And given so much English generation is near some of the poorest areas, like Teesside, I'd hope you will get some economic levelling up as a result of this cheap energy.
    There's nothing wrong with the principle. It's just being implemented selectively.

    If electricity should be priced regionally, how about adjusting public sector wages to reflect different costs of living by region? That would mean that northern public sector workers might get 20-50% less than those in the south. The unions would be up in arms, so it won't happen. And why should the uniform postal tariff survive? Also rural broadband - why shouldn't people who live on isolated Yorkshire moors pay the full cost of getting regional connections to them?

    Also council tax. It doesn't cost multiple times the amount to empty the bins of a band G property as it does to empty those of a band A property. So a far more uniform system of local taxation should be introduced - back to the poll tax. Income tax, too. The better off use fewer public services than the great unwashed, educating their kids privately and using private health care. They should surely pay less tax not more.

    Miliband is just targeting this specific subsidy because it will milk the people who don't vote for him yet more than they already are. If it were the other way around, you can bet the idea would have been dead on arrival.

    But hopefully if this idea is adopted, ALL other cross-subsidies will unwind. And for a party that is based on stealing from the rich, they may well rue the day.
    A pedant writes, surely it is easier to collect bins from lower band properties (or canvass them) because there is not as far to walk between each home.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
    rcs1000 said:

    DavidL said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    They were wrong. I see no reason to dislike them, particularly if they are not even American and did not have a vote.
    I deeply feel for them. I really do.
    Some of them should, and probably did know better.

    "As a voter, I put my priorities on a president who's going to have the backs of our allies and hold our enemies to account."

    @NikkiHaley explains why she supports Donald Trump in the 2024 election..

    https://x.com/HudsonInstitute/status/1793389852903297301
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,320

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    tlg86 said:

    Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

    The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/23/miliband-set-to-back-switch-to-regional-electricity-pricing/
    Flag Quote · Like

    National Grid. The clue is in the name.
    Like NHS , at present we produce all the cheap energy which goes to London and comes back at multiple times the price. Suck it up. Southern subsidy junkies
    Bollocks. Wind farms in Scotland are coining it from constraint payments that the whole country (including Scotland) pays through green levies on electricity bills. Scotland's green energy revolution is a complete scam.
    bollox your deluded, typical southern grifter
    I live in Scotland?
    Come on Luckyguy, deny the other bits as well!
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 30,145

    (4/5)

    Zonal pricing is an excellent idea and shows Labour is not a party of the south.

    Fixing the National Grid would be an even better idea.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 30,145
    rcs1000 said:

    A judge has ordered that Scottish schools must provide single-sex lavatories for pupils after parents won a legal fight against a council which insisted on installing only gender-neutral facilities.

    In a case hailed as the “first of many” in which the rights of women and girls will be upheld following last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Scottish Borders council conceded it had been wrong to flout the law by installing no sex-segregated bathrooms at the new Earlston Primary School.

    Lady Ross KC said she would issue a declarator, a court order, making legal obligations on Scottish state schools clear after Sean Stratford and Leigh Hurley brought a judicial review over their concerns around transgender policies at Earlston, where their son Ethan, eight, was a pupil.


    https://www.thetimes.com/article/4e7c7355-1798-45fb-bb9b-07aca88ff612?shareToken=963e3961fb39e9dd4a7bd6d4672cef7f

    My daughter's tiny primary school (15 years ago) didn't have segregated bathrooms for pre-reception and reception: it was cubicles only. I think it was simply a space thing - the building with those two years in was separate from the rest of the school, and didn't have room. My (four year old) daughter was always very indignant that the boys managed to pee all over the seat. Which I had a great deal of sympathy for.
    At my dot com startup the women sent round an email – stop pissing on the floor!!
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,368

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    To be fair: the question raised by @williamglenn (and others) was not a bad one. What had Trump actually done in his first administration that was so particularly pro-Putin and pro-Russia?

    And the answer is not a lot.

    While the rhetoric was reasonably friendly, he didn't dismantle any of the Obama era restrictions on Russia.

    It's only now, in the second term, that he's really jumped the shark.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686

    (4/5)

    Zonal pricing is an excellent idea and shows Labour is not a party of the south.

    Fixing the National Grid would be an even better idea.
    They are not alternatives, or equivalents.

    It's simply not possible to build a grid in any reasonable timeframe, or at a reasonable cost, which can deliver the (currently wasted) surplus power generated by renewables to any location in the country.

    That is the basic case for zonal pricing.

    Improving the grid is a necessary, but largely separate matter.
  • algarkirk said:

    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.

    It must be quite a few years ago now I went to the funeral of the long serving "Independent" councillor for Grasmere a truly redoubtable lady, a lady who was in no doubt as to her own pre-eminence within Grasmere, the Lake District and England as a whole. As we passed Wordsworth's grave and associated memorial another senior councillor asked the Vicar whether they intended to move it forwards or backwards to make way for the inevitable memorial for Mrs B
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 23,415
    rcs1000 said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    To be fair: the question raised by @williamglenn (and others) was not a bad one. What had Trump actually done in his first administration that was so particularly pro-Putin and pro-Russia?

    And the answer is not a lot.

    While the rhetoric was reasonably friendly, he didn't dismantle any of the Obama era restrictions on Russia.

    It's only now, in the second term, that he's really jumped the shark.
    In the first term he illegally threatened to halt aid to Ukraine, to the point of getting impeached.
  • glwglw Posts: 10,361
    kle4 said:

    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.

    I really need to buy something special for a drink I look forward to having ASAP.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,368
    There's an excellent - albeit slightly over long - Nate Silver piece on Trump: https://substack.com/home/post/p-161855652?source=queue

    TL;DR: the Dems are fighting the wrong battle right now.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 51,207
    viewcode said:

    Oh, incidentally, Happy St George's Day! At least to all those that celebrate of course! Whilst ensuring that dragons are treated with respect and given dignity in their everyday dragoning. That should cover all bases. :)

    It's a little early, as St George's Day is on Monday 28th April this year.

    Saints days are not celebrated in the weeks before and after Easter Sunday.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George's_Day#:~:text=Saint George's Day is usually,be celebrated the following Monday.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,368

    rcs1000 said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    To be fair: the question raised by @williamglenn (and others) was not a bad one. What had Trump actually done in his first administration that was so particularly pro-Putin and pro-Russia?

    And the answer is not a lot.

    While the rhetoric was reasonably friendly, he didn't dismantle any of the Obama era restrictions on Russia.

    It's only now, in the second term, that he's really jumped the shark.
    The shithousery he and the GOP engaged over funding support for Ukraine was a huge red flag that he was not going to be an ally of Ukraine.

    edit - Also did you forget the first impeachment?
    With all due respect, the first impeachment was about him trying to get Ukraine to smear Hunter Biden (and using the threat of removing aid), rather than about Russia per se.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    DavidL said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    They were wrong. I see no reason to dislike them, particularly if they are not even American and did not have a vote.
    We have no clue how Ukraine is going to turn out, either way
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,806
    edited 5:28PM
    Interesting PMQs on trans. I'd say a win on points for Badenoch, but actually they were ripping real chunks out of each other for a while. For a bit, she sort of faltered and he seemed to gain the upper hand by going hard on her record (or lack of) in Government, but then she defended her record pretty robustly and seemed to get better after that. In the end the territory was too uphill for Starmer. He tried to go for the jugular with how Kemi was going to be unseated by a Jenrick/Farage coalition but it didn't work for me because it was so totally unrelated to the questions Badenoch asked that he looked very evasive.

    The look Duffield gave him was pure class too. The Tories are clearly courting her and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if she joined them. Not sure she'd keep her seat mind.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283

    Interesting how the border areas of Canada - the ones that are going to get invaded by Trump - are still voting Conservative.

    Damned crypto-yankees...

    The bit that no-one talks about is how pissed many in the prairie provinces are that Trudeau didn't build a Canadian pipeline to export their oil out (meaning that had to do it south to the Americans and take a heavy haircut) which led to some provincial leaders threatening that they might conceivably support 'closer' relations with the USA in future, if things didn't change at a Federal level.

    That's where Trump has got it from.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,658
    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    “The Obama handover”

    https://x.com/rapidresponse47/status/1915074200731103424

    image
    I've never disliked anyone more, it makes it hard to make any kind of objective judgements.
    I actually dislike more those people who despite all the evidence said Trump would be better for Ukraine than Biden/Harris.
    To be fair: the question raised by @williamglenn (and others) was not a bad one. What had Trump actually done in his first administration that was so particularly pro-Putin and pro-Russia?

    And the answer is not a lot.

    While the rhetoric was reasonably friendly, he didn't dismantle any of the Obama era restrictions on Russia.

    It's only now, in the second term, that he's really jumped the shark.
    The shithousery he and the GOP engaged over funding support for Ukraine was a huge red flag that he was not going to be an ally of Ukraine.

    edit - Also did you forget the first impeachment?
    With all due respect, the first impeachment was about him trying to get Ukraine to smear Hunter Biden (and using the threat of removing aid), rather than about Russia per se.
    But what about the holding up the funding last year?
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,936
    algarkirk said:

    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.

    What about Helen Skelton?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,806
    Interesting situation in Canada. It's a bad picture in sum for the conservatives, but isn't the most recent development that the tide is ebbing a bit on Carney?
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,493
    dixiedean said:

    algarkirk said:

    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.

    What about Helen Skelton?
    Or even A View from Cumbria5?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    If we can get back ON TOPIC, it still amazes me that only western Europe makes great cheese
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283

    Is war between India and Pakistan coming?

    https://x.com/ghulamabbasshah/status/1915075818528932154

    India announces aggressive measures against Pakistan:

    1. Indus Water Treaty suspended
    2. Attari border crossing closed
    3. 48-hour ultimatum for Pakistani citizens to leave India
    4. Pakistan’s Defence Attaché declared persona non grata
    Awaiting Pakistan's response.
    #Pahalgam
    #PahalgamAttack

    How serious is the stomp-off at the border posts today?
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,546

    Interesting situation in Canada. It's a bad picture in sum for the conservatives, but isn't the most recent development that the tide is ebbing a bit on Carney?

    That was probably inevitable given he seemed to have a very positive opening, going for an immediate GE may have been a very good move if so.
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 5,088
    edited 5:36PM
    Still 5 days to go till the election in Canada but the polls have been quite stable for weeks .

    If the Libs do go onto win a majority it will go down as one of the most astonishing turnarounds in recent western election history .

    The CPC was constantly over 20 points ahead as recently as early January , then Trudeau resigned , at the same time Trumps unhinged attacks on Canada became daily news and then the tariffs.

    And people shouldn’t underestimate the Carney factor . His calmness , economic experience and lack of bells and whistles has made a reassuring presence for a good section of the Canadian public .
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,546
    As people have noted - security guarantees.

    Trump's peace deal:
    1) russia gets Crimea occupation legalised
    2) russia gets Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya occupation tolerated
    3) russia gets economic boost from the U.S.
    4) Ukraine transfers 50% of natural resources to Trump
    5) Ukraine praises Trump.
    Have I missed something?

    https://nitter.poast.org/sumlenny/status/1914986599969964423#m
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283
    DavidL said:

    Nigelb said:

    .

    eek said:

    Nissan has just said that Sunderland and the UK is no longer a competitive place to build cars

    https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25109061.nissan-boss-says-sunderland-uk-not-competitive-place/

    The location of Nissan's plant (and the fact that they have the capability to build large scale battery storage), mean they would be ideally situated to benefit from zonal pricing of electricity.
    ...Alan Johnson, the senior vice president for manufacturing, supply chain and Purchasing for Nissan’s Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania operations, told members of the House of Commons’ Business and Trade Committee that the Sunderland factory “pays more for its electricity than any other Nissan plant in the world”...

    An extremely good example of how it might work.
    We desperately need to find ways to incentivise manufacturing and investment in the poorer parts of the country. It is frankly incredible we have not done this already. Pre Brexit such possibilities got bogged down in EU competition law. That should no longer be the case.
    I suspect the human capital isn't there and the economic and transport geography poor.

    You can get there, as Manchester has revitalised, but it takes 30 years.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    edited 5:38PM
    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283
    rcs1000 said:

    A judge has ordered that Scottish schools must provide single-sex lavatories for pupils after parents won a legal fight against a council which insisted on installing only gender-neutral facilities.

    In a case hailed as the “first of many” in which the rights of women and girls will be upheld following last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Scottish Borders council conceded it had been wrong to flout the law by installing no sex-segregated bathrooms at the new Earlston Primary School.

    Lady Ross KC said she would issue a declarator, a court order, making legal obligations on Scottish state schools clear after Sean Stratford and Leigh Hurley brought a judicial review over their concerns around transgender policies at Earlston, where their son Ethan, eight, was a pupil.


    https://www.thetimes.com/article/4e7c7355-1798-45fb-bb9b-07aca88ff612?shareToken=963e3961fb39e9dd4a7bd6d4672cef7f

    My daughter's tiny primary school (15 years ago) didn't have segregated bathrooms for pre-reception and reception: it was cubicles only. I think it was simply a space thing - the building with those two years in was separate from the rest of the school, and didn't have room. My (four year old) daughter was always very indignant that the boys managed to pee all over the seat. Which I had a great deal of sympathy for.
    But did they have penises?
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,493

    Interesting PMQs on trans. I'd say a win on points for Badenoch, but actually they were ripping real chunks out of each other for a while. For a bit, she sort of faltered and he seemed to gain the upper hand by going hard on her record (or lack of) in Government, but then she defended her record pretty robustly and seemed to get better after that. In the end the territory was too uphill for Starmer. He tried to go for the jugular with how Kemi was going to be unseated by a Jenrick/Farage coalition but it didn't work for me because it was so totally unrelated to the questions Badenoch asked that he looked very evasive.

    The look Duffield gave him was pure class too. The Tories are clearly courting her and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if she joined them. Not sure she'd keep her seat mind.

    I hope she doesn't. She shouldnt have stood if she was so anti Labour in the first place.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,806
    edited 5:40PM
    kle4 said:

    Interesting situation in Canada. It's a bad picture in sum for the conservatives, but isn't the most recent development that the tide is ebbing a bit on Carney?

    That was probably inevitable given he seemed to have a very positive opening, going for an immediate GE may have been a very good move if so.
    It is probably just whistling a happy tune from conservatives, but I read in the Speccie that a social media photo of an older man making obscene finger gestures (Carney supporter) has been outraging people and turning them away from the liberals. I don't immediately see why.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,546
    edited 5:42PM
    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 14,472
    nico67 said:

    Still 5 days to go till the election in Canada but the polls have been quite stable for weeks .

    If the Libs do go onto win a majority it will go down as one of the most astonishing turnarounds in recent western election history .

    The CPC was constantly over 20 points ahead as recently as early January , then Trudeau resigned , at the same time Trumps unhinged attacks on Canada became daily news and then the tariffs.

    And people shouldn’t underestimate the Carney factor . His calmness , economic experience and lack of bells and whistles has made a reassuring presence for a good section of the Canadian public .

    The current data continues to paint a positive picture for the Liberals. The daily Nanos rolling poll suggests an eight point Liberal lead in Ontario and an eighteen point lead in Quebec.

    Basically, the collapse of the NDP and to an extent Bloc Quebecois is going to work to the benefit of the Liberals as they will gain more ridings from those two parties than they are likely to lose to the Conservatives. Whether Carney has an overall majority or not, he's likely to finish much closer to 172 than Poilievre and could well form a minority administration.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
    Radio**** on R3
    What is the world coming to ?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,686
    kle4 said:

    As people have noted - security guarantees.

    Trump's peace deal:
    1) russia gets Crimea occupation legalised
    2) russia gets Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya occupation tolerated
    3) russia gets economic boost from the U.S.
    4) Ukraine transfers 50% of natural resources to Trump
    5) Ukraine praises Trump.
    Have I missed something?

    https://nitter.poast.org/sumlenny/status/1914986599969964423#m

    Ukraine gets shafted.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283
    nico67 said:

    Still 5 days to go till the election in Canada but the polls have been quite stable for weeks .

    If the Libs do go onto win a majority it will go down as one of the most astonishing turnarounds in recent western election history .

    The CPC was constantly over 20 points ahead as recently as early January , then Trudeau resigned , at the same time Trumps unhinged attacks on Canada became daily news and then the tariffs.

    And people shouldn’t underestimate the Carney factor . His calmness , economic experience and lack of bells and whistles has made a reassuring presence for a good section of the Canadian public .

    Actually, not so much. I've seen Canadian political culture before, in previous elections, and they move their votes all over the fucking place at the drop of a hat. Stability there is not. They are entirely unreliable. The Liberals were nearly wiped out in 2011 and came back to win a majority in 2015.

    Ontario is where they are won or lost. If Quebec wasn't French then outside Montreal and Quebec City it'd be pretty Conservative.

    This time Carney will win because he looks and sounds very Canadian but has grit- with none of Trudeau's embarrassing teenager act - and is serious enough to stand up to Trump.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,442
    algarkirk said:

    Have we noted that today is the 175th anniversary of Wordsworth's death? The greatest Cumbrian of all.

    I wondered around on my own............

    https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=i+wondered+lonely+as+a+cloud+beer+commercial#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:00fa3f4c,vid:_Se0d3spD5o,st:0

  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,884
    HYUFD said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @Steven_Swinford

    Donald Trump accuses Volodomyr Zelensky of making 'inflammatory' statements about Crimea and says that he has 'no cards to play'

    He says Crimea was 'lost years ago' and that Zelensky's comments are making it 'difficult to settle this war'

    'He can have peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country'

    https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1915075519642481070

    Couldn't be clearer he actively supports Russia, not just doesn't want to support Ukraine.
    Not really, if he was he would be sending arms and funds to Moscow.

    Instead he is leaving the rest of NATO to fund Zelensky while he focuses on his
    economic war with China
    which he see as the real threat to the US not his fellow conservative white male and nationalist Putin
    What you suggest Trump is doing would be a respectable position, if he was actually doing it. Divide and Conquer requires you to support the other party in what they are doing for the common good, even if you are not involved in delivering it. It absolutely does not mean undermining everything they are trying to achieve.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    Leon said:

    If we can get back ON TOPIC, it still amazes me that only western Europe makes great cheese

    Yes, this is true. I was having a chat tonight with a cheese-expert friend and we decided on THE TOP TEN world cheeses, and they are all European. Cheeses that are iconic, unique and at their best delicious

    Here is our top 10 list (the order is random but by nation:

    France: Roquefort
    France: Brie
    France: Epoisses
    Italy: Gorgonzola
    Italy: Parmesan
    Italy: Buffalo Mozzarella
    UK: Blue Stilton
    UK: Cheddar
    Switzerland: Gruyère
    Greece: Feta


    Those are the ten great cheeses of the world, all western (or southern) Europe. We did have a heated debate about replacing Gruyère with Comte but we decided it was too annoying to give France FOUR cheeses and therefore let them win the world cheese cup, also Gruyère is yummy

  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,605
    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
    Asia has the obvious problem that most of them are lactose intolerant. But cheese has had almost all the lactose removed - perhaps you meed a milk culture to be established before you can get to a quality cheese culture?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists
  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,605
    I note in passing that Roquefort costs only slightly less per kg than a Porsche 911 Carerra: https://x.com/andrewmccalip/status/1910850255614009543/photo/1
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
    Great cheese basically doesn’t exist outside Western Europe, it is genuinely odd the more you think about it, given that humans love cheese (see the global popularity of cheesy pizzas, cheeseburgers etc)

    Europe did and does have a unique combo of culture, settlement, affluence, climate, cow pastures and even caves but still - only Western Europe??

    I am fairly sure I can spin my cheese epiphany into am entire Gazette article on the Greatness of Western Europe

  • PhilPhil Posts: 2,605
    Nigelb said:

    kle4 said:

    As people have noted - security guarantees.

    Trump's peace deal:
    1) russia gets Crimea occupation legalised
    2) russia gets Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya occupation tolerated
    3) russia gets economic boost from the U.S.
    4) Ukraine transfers 50% of natural resources to Trump
    5) Ukraine praises Trump.
    Have I missed something?

    https://nitter.poast.org/sumlenny/status/1914986599969964423#m

    Ukraine gets shafted.
    The total lack of security guarantees for Ukraine makes this a non-starter. Why would they accept this deal if they expect Russia to re-arm and invade again in a few years time?
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,012
    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283

    kle4 said:

    Interesting situation in Canada. It's a bad picture in sum for the conservatives, but isn't the most recent development that the tide is ebbing a bit on Carney?

    That was probably inevitable given he seemed to have a very positive opening, going for an immediate GE may have been a very good move if so.
    It is probably just whistling a happy tune from conservatives, but I read in the Speccie that a social media photo of an older man making obscene finger gestures (Carney supporter) has been outraging people and turning them away from the liberals. I don't immediately see why.
    Just trying to work out which of our regulars are on holiday..
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 45,346
    Phil said:

    I note in passing that Roquefort costs only slightly less per kg than a Porsche 911 Carerra: https://x.com/andrewmccalip/status/1910850255614009543/photo/1

    Each B2 bomber, when it was made, cost more than the equivalent weight of gold.

    (I have just checked this, and it seems right. Each bomber, with project costs included, cost around $1 billion in 1990. At that time, 71,000 kg of gold cost just under $1 billion.)
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 5,593
    edited 5:56PM
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    If we can get back ON TOPIC, it still amazes me that only western Europe makes great cheese

    Yes, this is true. I was having a chat tonight with a cheese-expert friend and we decided on THE TOP TEN world cheeses, and they are all European. Cheeses that are iconic, unique and at their best delicious

    Here is our top 10 list (the order is random but by nation:

    France: Roquefort
    France: Brie
    France: Epoisses
    Italy: Gorgonzola
    Italy: Parmesan
    Italy: Buffalo Mozzarella
    UK: Blue Stilton
    UK: Cheddar
    Switzerland: Gruyère
    Greece: Feta


    Those are the ten great cheeses of the world, all western (or southern) Europe. We did have a heated debate about replacing Gruyère with Comte but we decided it was too annoying to give France FOUR cheeses and therefore let them win the world cheese cup, also Gruyère is yummy

    Gruyère beats Comte for me. Epoisses should be at the very top of the list. If I die eating Epoisses, I will die a happy man. Cheddar needs to be Vintage Cornish Cheddar. There are a lot of meh cheeses that call themselves cheddar.
    Edit: I was going to nominate Isle of Mull, but it’s basically just an extremely good cheddar.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 53,637
    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
    Great cheese basically doesn’t exist outside Western Europe, it is genuinely odd the more you think about it, given that humans love cheese (see the global popularity of cheesy pizzas, cheeseburgers etc)

    Europe did and does have a unique combo of culture, settlement, affluence, climate, cow pastures and even caves but still - only Western Europe??

    I am fairly sure I can spin my cheese epiphany into am entire Gazette article on the Greatness of Western Europe

    What's India's favourite type of steam engine?

    Paneer Tank!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744
    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 14,012
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    If we can get back ON TOPIC, it still amazes me that only western Europe makes great cheese

    Yes, this is true. I was having a chat tonight with a cheese-expert friend and we decided on THE TOP TEN world cheeses, and they are all European. Cheeses that are iconic, unique and at their best delicious

    Here is our top 10 list (the order is random but by nation:

    France: Roquefort
    France: Brie
    France: Epoisses
    Italy: Gorgonzola
    Italy: Parmesan
    Italy: Buffalo Mozzarella
    UK: Blue Stilton
    UK: Cheddar
    Switzerland: Gruyère
    Greece: Feta


    Those are the ten great cheeses of the world, all western (or southern) Europe. We did have a heated debate about replacing Gruyère with Comte but we decided it was too annoying to give France FOUR cheeses and therefore let them win the world cheese cup, also Gruyère is yummy

    One of the urgent things Pepys did first when the fire of London started was to bury his Parmesan.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 23,415
    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    If we can get back ON TOPIC, it still amazes me that only western Europe makes great cheese

    Yes, this is true. I was having a chat tonight with a cheese-expert friend and we decided on THE TOP TEN world cheeses, and they are all European. Cheeses that are iconic, unique and at their best delicious

    Here is our top 10 list (the order is random but by nation:

    France: Roquefort
    France: Brie
    France: Epoisses
    Italy: Gorgonzola
    Italy: Parmesan
    Italy: Buffalo Mozzarella
    UK: Blue Stilton
    UK: Cheddar
    Switzerland: Gruyère
    Greece: Feta


    Those are the ten great cheeses of the world, all western (or southern) Europe. We did have a heated debate about replacing Gruyère with Comte but we decided it was too annoying to give France FOUR cheeses and therefore let them win the world cheese cup, also Gruyère is yummy

    Gruyère beats Comte for me. Epoisses should be at the very top of the list. If I die eating Epoisses, I will die a happy man. Cheddar needs to be Vintage Cornish Cheddar. There are a lot of meh cheeses that call themselves cheddar.
    Edit: I was going to nominate Isle of Mull, but it’s basically just an extremely good cheddar.
    Yep, Cheddar gets an unfair rep BECAUSE it is globally popular and has been hideously industrialised and processed and messed-about-with, but the core Platonic Cheddar - with those salty crystal bits - is an incredible cheese. Properly foundational

    Earns its place on the list, no problemo
  • stodgestodge Posts: 14,472

    kle4 said:

    Interesting situation in Canada. It's a bad picture in sum for the conservatives, but isn't the most recent development that the tide is ebbing a bit on Carney?

    That was probably inevitable given he seemed to have a very positive opening, going for an immediate GE may have been a very good move if so.
    It is probably just whistling a happy tune from conservatives, but I read in the Speccie that a social media photo of an older man making obscene finger gestures (Carney supporter) has been outraging people and turning them away from the liberals. I don't immediately see why.
    Yes, not showing up in any polling data currently. Counter intuitively, certainly from our perspective, older voters are strongly pro-Liberal and younger voters pro-Conservative. According to the latest Nanos polling, among those aged 55 and over the Liberals lead by twnety while among those aged 18-34, the Conservatives lead by seventeen.
  • FairlieredFairliered Posts: 5,593
    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is like American coffee. Ubiquitous but tasteless. (Hawaiian coffee excepted.)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
    i once went into a Wal Mart in Natchez Mississippi and they had a mile long aisle devoted to cheese

    Excitedly I perused it, only to discover that on the mile they had four kinds of cheese: cheddar, “Jack cheddar”, Philadelphia, and cheddar shaped like characters out of Finding Nemo
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
    I've never had any desire to live in America.

    Can't put my finger on why. Just not my cup of tea. I feel very different about Canada.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
    i once went into a Wal Mart in Natchez Mississippi and they had a mile long aisle devoted to cheese

    Excitedly I perused it, only to discover that on the mile they had four kinds of cheese: cheddar, “Jack cheddar”, Philadelphia, and cheddar shaped like characters out of Finding Nemo
    Europeans can't do crisps though.

    They do paprika, salted, and that sour cream/bad breath one.

    That's it.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,744

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
    i once went into a Wal Mart in Natchez Mississippi and they had a mile long aisle devoted to cheese

    Excitedly I perused it, only to discover that on the mile they had four kinds of cheese: cheddar, “Jack cheddar”, Philadelphia, and cheddar shaped like characters out of Finding Nemo
    Europeans can't do crisps though.

    They do paprika, salted, and that sour cream/bad breath one.

    That's it.
    America spanks us Europeans like a sub in subspace when it comes to snacks, nuts and the like (as indeed does Japan, Korea, etc)

    Eg Beef jerky barely exists in Europe and is horribly overpriced. Walk into any decent American gas station and they will have a trillion different kinds of jerky - ideal for chewing on long road trips

  • nico67nico67 Posts: 5,088
    There used to be a fabulous cheese which I found when living in London . It was Brie with mushrooms , it almost a bit more like Camembert. Absolutely divine , there’s also a variety of Gouda nothing like what you get in supermarkets in the UK . It was a very mature hard as a brick very dark orange with a black skin. You really needed to grate it but it was delicious melted .
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 10,136
    "Tasty cheese" = medium cheddar, just in case anyone else gets confused in an Australian supermarket.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 65,512
    Meanwhile...

    WarMonitor🇺🇦🇬🇧
    @WarMonitor3
    ·
    50m
    India has started large scale security operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 24,262
    Foxy said:

    viewcode said:

    Oh, incidentally, Happy St George's Day! At least to all those that celebrate of course! Whilst ensuring that dragons are treated with respect and given dignity in their everyday dragoning. That should cover all bases. :)

    It's a little early, as St George's Day is on Monday 28th April this year.

    Saints days are not celebrated in the weeks before and after Easter Sunday.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George's_Day#:~:text=Saint George's Day is usually,be celebrated the following Monday.
    You appear to be correct!

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/st-georges-day-moved-23-april-new-date-why-b2737877.html
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 24,262

    Meanwhile...

    WarMonitor🇺🇦🇬🇧
    @WarMonitor3
    ·
    50m
    India has started large scale security operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Pahalgam_attack
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,468
    edited 6:23PM
    Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine with "inflammatory statements".

    The Ukrainian president told a news conference on Tuesday that Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea, comments which Trump said "would do nothing but prolong" the conflict.

    The US president's remarks on his social media platform Truth Social came after Vice-President JD Vance said the US would "walk away" from its deal making role if the two sides did not come to an agreement.

    US officials pulled out of a London meeting this week to focus on talks in Moscow, as the pace of diplomacy to end the war quickens.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jx68d922o

    Its a good job Zelensky name doesn't easily rhyme with English words otherwise Trump would be calling him by his nickname all the time by now.
  • RazedabodeRazedabode Posts: 3,105
    Why are we continuing to placate the USA through some sort of a trade deal? Why can’t Labour read the tea leaves? If they had any sense, they’d be looking at strengthening European and Canadian relations. Trump really doesn’t give a damn, and we should stop the pretence
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,320
    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    Aged vintage Gouda may open your tasted buds, good stuff.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,468
    edited 6:25PM
    viewcode said:

    Foxy said:

    viewcode said:

    Oh, incidentally, Happy St George's Day! At least to all those that celebrate of course! Whilst ensuring that dragons are treated with respect and given dignity in their everyday dragoning. That should cover all bases. :)

    It's a little early, as St George's Day is on Monday 28th April this year.

    Saints days are not celebrated in the weeks before and after Easter Sunday.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George's_Day#:~:text=Saint George's Day is usually,be celebrated the following Monday.
    You appear to be correct!

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/st-georges-day-moved-23-april-new-date-why-b2737877.html
    Do you think the government knew this when they organised the event or they make a bit of cock-up and all the catering was booked?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 54,539

    Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine with "inflammatory statements".

    The Ukrainian president told a news conference on Tuesday that Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea, comments which Trump said "would do nothing but prolong" the conflict.

    The US president's remarks on his social media platform Truth Social came after Vice-President JD Vance said the US would "walk away" from its deal making role if the two sides did not come to an agreement.

    US officials pulled out of a London meeting this week to focus on talks in Moscow, as the pace of diplomacy to end the war quickens.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jx68d922o

    Its a good job Zelensky name doesn't easily rhyme with English words otherwise Trump would be calling him by his nickname all the time by now.

    No surprise there. From the man who would do a deal to end the war in twenty four hours.

    Yeah, right.

    We're about to see just how much Putin owns Trump's ass.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,468
    Well PB topics don't half shift about, from trannies to transformers to taleggio all in a few hours.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 62,283

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
    Great cheese basically doesn’t exist outside Western Europe, it is genuinely odd the more you think about it, given that humans love cheese (see the global popularity of cheesy pizzas, cheeseburgers etc)

    Europe did and does have a unique combo of culture, settlement, affluence, climate, cow pastures and even caves but still - only Western Europe??

    I am fairly sure I can spin my cheese epiphany into am entire Gazette article on the Greatness of Western Europe

    Lactose intolerance worldwide, % of total population.


    I find that infographic suspicious in multiple wheys
    I have a real thing about people with frostbite. Completely winds me up.

    Apparently, I'm lack toes intolerant....
    I think I'll come back later.

    I camembert this.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,468
    edited 6:28PM
    UK could lower US car tariffs in push for trade deal
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kx1n3xgr2o

    Still not going to get anybody to buy an American car.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 43,320
    edited 6:29PM
    Leon said:

    Before I go to bed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - I’ve just been scrolling through lists of the “world’s ten best cheeses”


    On American lists you often find an entry like this

    7. Blue cheese

    As if that’s a precise variety of cheese in itself. “Blue”. It’s the equivalent of a top ten list of cars which has

    7. Really big cars

    Americans know NOTHING about cheese. NOTHING!!!

    Nighty night

    Like cars and whiskey, I bet Trump thinks we don’t buy US cheese cos of tariffs rather than it being crap.
  • SonofContrarianSonofContrarian Posts: 159
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    Leon said:

    I know that’s tough on Spain - Manchego - and Holland - Gouda - and also Germany - that weird smoked shit - but them’s the breaks in Top Cheese Global Lists

    In idle moments I sometimes wonder what Dutch cheese is for. I don't suppose they eat it do they?
    it was invented as a replacement for car parts when there’s a rubber shortage, but I think during the war they started to eat it out of necessity, and therefore developed like a liking, as with Cambodians eating spiders under the Khmer Rouge

    American cheese isn’t meant to do anything but provide amusement for Europeans in Wal Mart
    American cheese is either glue (squirty cheese) or plastic (singles).
    i once went into a Wal Mart in Natchez Mississippi and they had a mile long aisle devoted to cheese

    Excitedly I perused it, only to discover that on the mile they had four kinds of cheese: cheddar, “Jack cheddar”, Philadelphia, and cheddar shaped like characters out of Finding Nemo
    Europeans can't do crisps though.

    They do paprika, salted, and that sour cream/bad breath one.

    That's it.
    America spanks us Europeans like a sub in subspace when it comes to snacks, nuts and the like (as indeed does Japan, Korea, etc)

    Eg Beef jerky barely exists in Europe and is horribly overpriced. Walk into any decent American gas station and they will have a trillion different kinds of jerky - ideal for chewing on long road trips

    Beef jerky..food of the gods I'm sure..🤔 File under "best left in America" along with Twinkie bars..🥴💩
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 54,539

    Meanwhile...

    WarMonitor🇺🇦🇬🇧
    @WarMonitor3
    ·
    50m
    India has started large scale security operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Great. Just what we need. A hot war between Pakistan and India...
  • DM_AndyDM_Andy Posts: 1,221

    West Lothian woman carried out shocking campaign of abuse against four children

    https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/west-lothian-domestic-abuse-activist-31284429

    It's always the ones you most suspect.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,298
    edited 6:32PM
    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    South America - no cheese. lol. Give over

    North America - Wisconsin makes OK Brie, otherwise no cheese, lol

    Australasia - no cheese except some nice goat stuff in Victoria, but really - no cheese, lol

    Africa - no cheese, lol

    Eastern Europe - no cheese, lol

    Western Europe - OMFG THE CHEESE!

    Asia - no cheese, lol

    As a non traveller I am genuinely surprised. I had a sense cheese would not be a big thing in tropical regions, but assumed it would be excellent in pretty much every region.
    Great cheese basically doesn’t exist outside Western Europe, it is genuinely odd the more you think about it, given that humans love cheese (see the global popularity of cheesy pizzas, cheeseburgers etc)

    Europe did and does have a unique combo of culture, settlement, affluence, climate, cow pastures and even caves but still - only Western Europe??

    I am fairly sure I can spin my cheese epiphany into am entire Gazette article on the Greatness of Western Europe

    Can I shock you? Except for on a pizza, I have never knowingly eaten cheese... and I even used to order pizza without it
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