We will see. It looks like they are too slow to remove tariffs. Bessent is still speaking to the Chinese.
I’m sure there are plenty out there in the markets happy to use the TACO acronym against Trump to simply harden his resolve. 🤔
Do you support Trump's continued territorial claim to Canada?
That’s on a par with ‘When did you stop beating your wife’.
You seem to have some bizarre view that I support Trump when my main interest is global markets and the impact on my retirement funds.
Quite frankly I don’t doubt some bears and short sellers are happy to use the TACO term to Trump to harden his resolve.
The question is whether it will actually harden his resolve. It’s interesting psychology.
Let’s assume Trump is a bog standard bully who thrives on others’ weakness, but tends to fold when confronted (as indeed the TACO thing is all about). And also a narcissist who always wants to be the winner and whines when he’s not.
When people tease and goad him as someone who always caves, does this:
A. Hurt his pride so much that he becomes more determined to prove them wrong and come out the winner B. Dent his confidence and make him even more likely to cave?
Or put another way, is the best way to stiffen Trump’s resolve to tell everyone that he always wins and make it a self-fulfilling prophesy, or tell everyone he always caves and lay down the gauntlet for him?
The twin traits of the narcissist bully kind of fight against each other in this one.
The thing with fare evaders, fly tippers, even burglars is this.
You don't have to catch them every time, you don't need enforcement on every barrier, but you do have to catch them ENOUGH, and have appropriate punishments available to deploy when you do.
Enough (plus a margin) being determined by a deep understanding of the various cost/benefits to would-be evaders.
Catch them, charge them, bail them.
If they are caught while on bail for three previous, separate, offences - no bail. On remand.
There's no space in the prisons.
The other day, we were discussing using capacity in the Philippine medical system to train more U.K. doctors and nurses.
What is capacity like in the Philippine remand system?
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
We will see. It looks like they are too slow to remove tariffs. Bessent is still speaking to the Chinese.
I’m sure there are plenty out there in the markets happy to use the TACO acronym against Trump to simply harden his resolve. 🤔
Do you support Trump's continued territorial claim to Canada?
That’s on a par with ‘When did you stop beating your wife’.
You seem to have some bizarre view that I support Trump when my main interest is global markets and the impact on my retirement funds.
Quite frankly I don’t doubt some bears and short sellers are happy to use the TACO term to Trump to harden his resolve.
The question is whether it will actually harden his resolve. It’s interesting psychology.
Let’s assume Trump is a bog standard bully who thrives on others’ weakness, but tends to fold when confronted (as indeed the TACO thing is all about). And also a narcissist who always wants to be the winner and whines when he’s not.
When people tease and goad him as someone who always caves, does this:
A. Hurt his pride so much that he becomes more determined to prove them wrong and come out the winner B. Dent his confidence and make him even more likely to cave?
Or put another way, is the best way to stiffen Trump’s resolve to tell everyone that he always wins and make it a self-fulfilling prophesy, or tell everyone he always caves and lay down the gauntlet for him?
The twin traits of the narcissist bully kind of fight against each other in this one.
One can only hope he is being steered by people like Bessent, the proverbial adults in the room.
It was less than 24 hours ago markets were at a 70% chance of China tariffs ending by Monday. It’s crazy.
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
The existential dread of Monday morning goes all the way back to childhood.
These Wow polls are now so common there's a risk that we don't Wow. But, Wow
Note the Tories are on equal third down at 16 with Dem Libs
Ref still inching up. If they can get to 35 and stay there (not easy) then they win a big majority. Will Jenrick defect?
No? Why would Jenrick want to be third in line of succession in Reform behind Farage and Tice if that when he is probably joint next in line for the Tories with Cleverly if Kemi is removed before the next GE.
Reform had a formal pact with Traditional Unionist Voice at the last general election to stand jointly agreed candidates in Northern Ireland. If he falls just short of a majority the DUP and TUV would back Farage to put him over the line
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
I find I can watch certain comedy over and over - Father Ted I must have seen some episodes into double figures. Same for The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave etc. And I'll argue with anyone that Not Going Out is the 21st Century version of those sit coms. Won't be to everyone's taste for sure, but its well written, has likeable characters and makes you laugh for 30 minutes.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
The existential dread of Monday morning goes all the way back to childhood.
For many a year I loathed Bullseye and had an irrational dislike of Jim Bowen as I associated it with the end of the weekend and coming of Monday.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Similar with pop bands. They are popular, then that fades and they’re playing Pontins and Yeovil Aerodrome, and when their fanbase hits a certain age, has more disposable income, then they do the Xmas nostalgia tours.
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
Cheer up, people of Swindon, Luton, Cumbernauld, Portsmouth, Leeds, Newport, Birmingham, Lambeth and Croydon, Sweden has just built something far far uglier than even you can imagine
Um, the "Kasper Kalkon Prize" is a prize for the ugliest new building in Sweden in a given year. The 2025 winner is the "Pearl" ("Parlan"), a residential building in Lund in Sweden. The locals call it "Gråsuggan" (Google Translate says this is "the grey sow": see https://stick.se/skadedjur/grasuggor/ for an example)
I'll be honest: I've seen worse. This kind of concrete rectilinear block clad in cladding is quite common these days. Unfortunately. See this link https://maps.app.goo.gl/K66SZx6GptESCb5h9 for an example in Cardiff.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
@rcs1000 ChatGPT tells me (because I'm lazy) that the human goo sphere would be 990m in diameter.
You would need a titanium shell or an anti-gravity machine to keep the goo in a spherical shape.
Or you could just put it in a bucket. A big bucket, natch. Don't spill any. And - this bit is really important - don't lick your fingers without washing first.
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
The existential dread of Monday morning goes all the way back to childhood.
For many a year I loathed Bullseye and had an irrational dislike of Jim Bowen as I associated it with the end of the weekend and coming of Monday.
For me it was stars on Sunday, with Jess Yates, and then the Popeye cartoon. Also the golden Shot.
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
The existential dread of Monday morning goes all the way back to childhood.
For many a year I loathed Bullseye and had an irrational dislike of Jim Bowen as I associated it with the end of the weekend and coming of Monday.
For me it was stars on Sunday, with Jess Yates, and then the Popeye cartoon. Also the golden Shot.
Now I do remember The Golden Shot with Anne Aston and Bernie the Bolt. Presented by the laughter guzzler and, also, Charlie Williams IIRC.
Mind you I was not in the awful world of work then, just school, and I generally enjoyed school.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Similar with pop bands. They are popular, then that fades and they’re playing Pontins and Yeovil Aerodrome, and when their fanbase hits a certain age, has more disposable income, then they do the Xmas nostalgia tours.
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
Cheer up, people of Swindon, Luton, Cumbernauld, Portsmouth, Leeds, Newport, Birmingham, Lambeth and Croydon, Sweden has just built something far far uglier than even you can imagine
Um, the "Kasper Kalkon Prize" is a prize for the ugliest new building in Sweden in a given year. The 2025 winner is the "Pearl" ("Parlan"), a residential building in Lund in Sweden. The locals call it "Gråsuggan" (Google Translate says this is "the grey sow": see https://stick.se/skadedjur/grasuggor/ for an example)
I'll be honest: I've seen worse. This kind of concrete rectilinear block clad in cladding is quite common these days. Unfortunately. See this link https://maps.app.goo.gl/K66SZx6GptESCb5h9 for an example in Cardiff.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Similar with pop bands. They are popular, then that fades and they’re playing Pontins and Yeovil Aerodrome, and when their fanbase hits a certain age, has more disposable income, then they do the Xmas nostalgia tours.
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
He's Living It Up?
He has a nice place on the Isle of Wight and breeds chickens.
Fantastic performers live. Not the greatest band but a solid back catalogue. Worth thirty five quid.
Reform had a formal pact with Traditional Unionist Voice at the last general election to stand jointly agreed candidates in Northern Ireland. If he falls just short of a majority the DUP and TUV would back Farage to put him over the line
🇨🇿Czech Foreign Minister on 🇷🇺Russian demands for non-expansion of NATO
"NATO expansion meets the security interests of the Russian Federation. Where Russia borders NATO countries, there is no war. In other places, there is." — wrote the Head of the Czech Foreign Ministry Jan Lipavsky https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1928372712574963862
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Similar with pop bands. They are popular, then that fades and they’re playing Pontins and Yeovil Aerodrome, and when their fanbase hits a certain age, has more disposable income, then they do the Xmas nostalgia tours.
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
He's Living It Up?
He has a nice place on the Isle of Wight and breeds chickens.
Fantastic performers live. Not the greatest band but a solid back catalogue. Worth thirty five quid.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Similar with pop bands. They are popular, then that fades and they’re playing Pontins and Yeovil Aerodrome, and when their fanbase hits a certain age, has more disposable income, then they do the Xmas nostalgia tours.
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
He's Living It Up?
He has a nice place on the Isle of Wight and breeds chickens.
Fantastic performers live. Not the greatest band but a solid back catalogue. Worth thirty five quid.
The new drummer is an animal!
If it was an octopus that’s quite a bit of drumming it could do.
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
Did you hear about the psephologist from Warsaw who moved to Haiti?
He became a...
Presumably the answer is the same as last time you told it Sunil...?
Secret of 90's humour was repitition. The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, later Character driven sketches such as Catherine Tate. Sunil's just carrying the torch for a new generation.
A lot to be said for the predictable joke. It triggers a sort of Pavlovian reflex in the laughter muscle memory. I find myself starting to chuckle mildly simply hearing the opening credits of Father Ted.
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
The existential dread of Monday morning goes all the way back to childhood.
For many a year I loathed Bullseye and had an irrational dislike of Jim Bowen as I associated it with the end of the weekend and coming of Monday.
For me it was stars on Sunday, with Jess Yates, and then the Popeye cartoon. Also the golden Shot.
Now I do remember The Golden Shot with Anne Aston and Bernie the Bolt. Presented by the laughter guzzler and, also, Charlie Williams IIRC.
Mind you I was not in the awful world of work then, just school, and I generally enjoyed school.
I hated Sundays. The shops were closed and the telly was rubbish. Cheap gameshows, ITV sitcoms, religion, antiques and costume dramas. It wasn't until Shoestring that Sunday night telly got interesting.
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
Polls for the Poles are too close to call, my prediction is that Nawrocki wins with between 50.5 to 51.5%, and that the 10/11 for him at William Hill, in from 11/10, is therefore value.
DYOR obviously but I think Kellner's Law will apply and the right is more likely to be underestimated in the polling.
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
Mine has a valuation of £2k too. After I fall off the perch it will only be worth a drink to my offspring.
Vance: I've heard a lot of the criticisms, the fear that we're going to have a brain drain. If you go back to the 50s and 60s, the American space program, the program that was the first to put a human being on the surface of the moon was built by American citizens. Some German and Jewish scientists who had come over during World War two, but mostly by American citizens… https://x.com/Acyn/status/1928268922899284411
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
Bumped into the Commons Fisheries Select Committee in St James's Park today:
They have a tendency to appall the tourists - by occassionally grabbing and downing in one a cutesy squirrel....
Been to St James's Park several times this year - never seen them go after furry rodents. They still get fed fish by the park keeper around 2.00-2.30pm each day.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
Mine has a valuation of £2k too. After I fall off the perch it will only be worth a drink to my offspring.
Elder son has a strong sense of pride in family artefacts. Unfortunately his wife is more sceptical.
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
Another young girl with her life wrecked. I suspect because a girl will try to kiss the dog which interprets it as an attack.
I think it's more that the breed is incredibly volatile. Find myself agreeing with the DM btl comment that they should all be put down and the owners sectioned.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
For a certain type it is being reported the actress Sydney Sweeney has had candles produced for sale,infused with her bath water. One can hope she didn’t wee or fart in the bath.,although for some that would make them more desirable.
Vance: I've heard a lot of the criticisms, the fear that we're going to have a brain drain. If you go back to the 50s and 60s, the American space program, the program that was the first to put a human being on the surface of the moon was built by American citizens. Some German and Jewish scientists who had come over during World War two, but mostly by American citizens… https://x.com/Acyn/status/1928268922899284411
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
Similarly there's an article on ConHome now, about how Labour is wrecking local government by telling it what to do and starving it of funding.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
An utterly asinine response. Labour will lose very very badly in 2028 if they adopt that attitude
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
Bumped into the Commons Fisheries Select Committee in St James's Park today:
They have a tendency to appall the tourists - by occassionally grabbing and downing in one a cutesy squirrel....
Been to St James's Park several times this year - never seen them go after furry rodents. They still get fed fish by the park keeper around 2.00-2.30pm each day.
The feeding of the tree rats and the pigeons in St. James's Park should be a capital offence.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
12 million views of his video and still climbing. He must be deeply alarmed
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
Either you're shopping a lot, or Camden has a lot of desperate inhabitants. I've yet to see any, in not particularly salubrious Havering, or my occasional forays into central London. Not saying there isn't any, but neither have I heard anyone commenting on it locally.
OTOH there must have been an uptick a year or two ago as the local Sainsbury's introduced an exit barrier from the self service tills.
As for the sphere of human goo: I assume rcs1000 is planning to sell it to aliens from outside the solar system, and would assemble it in space. (My apologies if others have mentioned this earlier. I don't have time to read every post.)
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
12 million views of his video and still climbing. He must be deeply alarmed
How long before Vance weighs in? Britain is broken and overrun by feral criminals, needs to become the 52nd state etc etc.
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
Mine has a valuation of £2k too. After I fall off the perch it will only be worth a drink to my offspring.
As any viewer of Antiques Roadshow will know, they do not even bother with brown furniture, whereas a couple of decades back fancy desks and bookcases were often the most expensive items on the show. Clocks have largely disappeared too although watches still do quite well.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
12 million views of his video and still climbing. He must be deeply alarmed
Well you've viewed it 11.5m times.
He is being bigged up now but he has indirectly shone a light on the Desmond deal. It might be ignored, it might not, but these things have a habit of biting back.
What have I learned from the stunt? Jenrick is a diminutive 5ft5.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
The Tories said shoplifting was a waste of police time? Is this true? Sounds unlikely to me. More likely a police decision which Tories would be aghast at.
Bumped into the Commons Fisheries Select Committee in St James's Park today:
They have a tendency to appall the tourists - by occassionally grabbing and downing in one a cutesy squirrel....
Been to St James's Park several times this year - never seen them go after furry rodents. They still get fed fish by the park keeper around 2.00-2.30pm each day.
The feeding of the tree rats and the pigeons in St. James's Park should be a capital offence.
Pigeons? I thought it was magpies in St James's Park.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
The Tories said shoplifting was a waste of police time? Is this true? Sounds unlikely to me. More likely a police decision which Tories would be aghast at.
Calm down dear. Your party is the party of law and order. Oh wait...
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
Mine has a valuation of £2k too. After I fall off the perch it will only be worth a drink to my offspring.
As any viewer of Antiques Roadshow will know, they do not even bother with brown furniture, whereas a couple of decades back fancy desks and bookcases were often the most expensive items on the show. Clocks have largely disappeared too although watches still do quite well.
Supply and demand. The generation dying off provides the supply, and the middle aged with disposable income are the demand. Stuff pensioners have that their families don't want or need will be very cheap.
It’s Labour’s bad luck that the consequences of the last government effectively making petty crime legal in this country have really come to the fore during their tenure in government. But ultimately that won’t make any difference at the ballot box - what people are going to ask themselves is “has Labour done anything to try and fix this, or have they spent the last four years denying that the problem even exists?”
People don’t like being taken for fools & if you see people stealing from high street shops & fare dodging all the time, you feel like you’re the one being taken for a mug. The perception that the public sphere has become degraded is everywhere & we need to reverse it, because otherwise we lose the “we’re in this together” thing & it becomes universally replaced by “everyone for themselves“ which a shit place to be.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
An utterly asinine response. Labour will lose very very badly in 2028 if they adopt that attitude
Yes but it shows why replacing Kemi with Jenrick will not help at PMQs because everything can be batted away by Starmer pointing out the Tories ballsed up whatever it is in the first place. That is why Reform is doing so well as NOTA – because Tories broke the country and Labour hasn't fixed it.
In other words, Jenrick's videos might hurt Labour but they help Reform not his own party.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
Either you're shopping a lot, or Camden has a lot of desperate inhabitants. I've yet to see any, in not particularly salubrious Havering, or my occasional forays into central London. Not saying there isn't any, but neither have I heard anyone commenting on it locally.
OTOH there must have been an uptick a year or two ago as the local Sainsbury's introduced an exit barrier from the self service tills.
Camden has a lot of druggies and drunks, which explains much of it
But as The Economist noted a fortnight back, shoplifting has increased TENFOLD in the last decade. So, no, this is not just Camden being Camden, it's a big nationwide issue - and it ties in with phone theft, fare dodging, littering, fly tipping, dodgy vape shops, graffiti, bike theft - exactly as Jenrick is illuminating. A general fraying of the social contract and a widespread decay of the urban realm
Labour are in power. They can't get away with saying "Oh Bobby Jenrick received 19,000 quid from a dodgy donor in 2017", not least because their OWN LEADER is Free Gear Keir, with a reputation for grift, greed and suspicious transactions
They have four years to sort out the blight in our towns (and migration, incomes, NHS) or they will be turfed out
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
Insurance costs, probably. In a lot of areas now it is extremely expensive to insure a motorcycle if you're young. Riding without insurance is very risky, one cop car with an ANPR camera and you're done.
So a lot of teenagers have switched to juiced-up ebikes. Completely illegal, but the chance of getting nabbed is very small.
Motorcycles and to a lesser extent cars, are now an old man's passion. Super high insurance and eebs have pretty much killed it off for young people.
Just put some Jollymoto pipes on and rebuilt the carbs on my RD500LC. That thing is #crisp now. Full on Eddie Lawson antics on every roundabout. 21mpg and death wobble at 110mph. 10/10 ownership experience.
I learned that by watching Bangers and Cash. Retirees in their seventies buying all the interesting stuff, while those in their forties might indulge in a Peugeot 106 Rallye or a Polo breadvan.
Of course it might be that youngsters are savvy enough to realise that a £20,000 Escort that one could have bought for a hundred quid 20 years ago still drives like a hundred pound car.
People buy the things they wanted as a child - which is why a lot of things that were collectible 20-30 years ago can be picked up for peanuts now as no one is interested
Indeed. Fiesta XR2s, Escort XR3s, Golf GTis and 205 GTis are crazy money. The really sad thing are the ash framed cars from the 30s and 40s are worth next to nothing. Presumably as they again plumb the pit of worthlessness they are not worth saving for posterity.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
That's somewhat depressing. I've got a long case clock.... can't really call it beautiful ..... which was, allegedly anyway, one set of great-grandparents' wedding present, approx 1860. Last time I had it valued, for insurance purposes, I was quoted £2k. Keeps good time.
Mine has a valuation of £2k too. After I fall off the perch it will only be worth a drink to my offspring.
As any viewer of Antiques Roadshow will know, they do not even bother with brown furniture, whereas a couple of decades back fancy desks and bookcases were often the most expensive items on the show. Clocks have largely disappeared too although watches still do quite well.
There was some beautiful high quality hardwood furniture awaiting collection.I remember hardwood antique furniture going for a fortune at Phillips on Bond Street in the 1980s.
These days a mahogany Pembroke table with a set of matching Queen Anne chairs costs less than a chipboard dining set from IKEA.
It’s Labour’s bad luck that the consequences of the last government effectively making petty crime legal in this country have really come to the fore during their tenure in government. But ultimately that won’t make any difference at the ballot box - what people are going to ask themselves is “has Labour done anything to try and fix this, or have they spent the last four years denying that the problem even exists?”
People don’t like being taken for fools & if you see people stealing from high street shops & fare dodging all the time, you feel like you’re the one being taken for a mug. The perception that the public sphere has become degraded is everywhere & we need to reverse it, because otherwise we lose the “we’re in this together” thing & it becomes universally replaced by “everyone for themselves“ which a shit place to be.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
Either you're shopping a lot, or Camden has a lot of desperate inhabitants. I've yet to see any, in not particularly salubrious Havering, or my occasional forays into central London. Not saying there isn't any, but neither have I heard anyone commenting on it locally.
OTOH there must have been an uptick a year or two ago as the local Sainsbury's introduced an exit barrier from the self service tills.
Camden has a lot of druggies and drunks, which explains much of it
But as The Economist noted a fortnight back, shoplifting has increased TENFOLD in the last decade. So, no, this is not just Camden being Camden, it's a big nationwide issue - and it ties in with phone theft, fare dodging, littering, fly tipping, dodgy vape shops, graffiti, bike theft - exactly as Jenrick is illuminating. A general fraying of the social contract and a widespread decay of the urban realm
Labour are in power. They can't get away with saying "Oh Bobby Jenrick received 19,000 quid from a dodgy donor in 2017", not least because their OWN LEADER is Free Gear Keir, with a reputation for grift, greed and suspicious transactions
They have four years to sort out the blight in our towns (and migration, incomes, NHS) or they will be turfed out
I do agree with you that Labour have to be able to show progress on this (and a whole bunch of stuff) in the next 4 years, or they will suffer the same fate as the Tories. I just don't think the Tories will benefit from pointing at the consequences of their own failings now. It benefits only Reform.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
Either you're shopping a lot, or Camden has a lot of desperate inhabitants. I've yet to see any, in not particularly salubrious Havering, or my occasional forays into central London. Not saying there isn't any, but neither have I heard anyone commenting on it locally.
OTOH there must have been an uptick a year or two ago as the local Sainsbury's introduced an exit barrier from the self service tills.
Camden has a lot of druggies and drunks, which explains much of it
But as The Economist noted a fortnight back, shoplifting has increased TENFOLD in the last decade. So, no, this is not just Camden being Camden, it's a big nationwide issue - and it ties in with phone theft, fare dodging, littering, fly tipping, dodgy vape shops, graffiti, bike theft - exactly as Jenrick is illuminating. A general fraying of the social contract and a widespread decay of the urban realm
Labour are in power. They can't get away with saying "Oh Bobby Jenrick received 19,000 quid from a dodgy donor in 2017", not least because their OWN LEADER is Free Gear Keir, with a reputation for grift, greed and suspicious transactions
They have four years to sort out the blight in our towns (and migration, incomes, NHS) or they will be turfed out
Starmer receiving suits and accomodation from Lord Ali to conduct an election campaign isn't quite the obnoxious former pornographer Desmond being tipped off by the Housing Minister to avoid paying £45m in tax to Tower Hamlets council.
Do we have a statute of limitations here in the UK?
P.S. Paragraph one. Didn't you claim to once be in that cohort?
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only it wasn’t the Tories who said shoplifting was a waste of police time.
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
The Tories said shoplifting was a waste of police time? Is this true? Sounds unlikely to me. More likely a police decision which Tories would be aghast at.
Calm down dear. Your party is the party of law and order. Oh wait...
Not my party. I'm a liberal who will stick up for what is true whatever the party.
3-4 weeks set aside for trial of Liverpool driver. Is that 79 victim impact statements? WTAF..
Impact statement only come into play in the sentencing process, not the trial.
As for length of time set aside, this depends on the factors in play, how many witnesses there are as to the facts on both sides, and including the possibility of contested expert evidence, which could of course be mechanical, medical or other forensic.
Pleas not yet taken (August I think), so, wait and see. If contested expect an application to move it from Liverpool.
It’s Labour’s bad luck that the consequences of the last government effectively making petty crime legal in this country have really come to the fore during their tenure in government. But ultimately that won’t make any difference at the ballot box - what people are going to ask themselves is “has Labour done anything to try and fix this, or have they spent the last four years denying that the problem even exists?”
People don’t like being taken for fools & if you see people stealing from high street shops & fare dodging all the time, you feel like you’re the one being taken for a mug. The perception that the public sphere has become degraded is everywhere & we need to reverse it, because otherwise we lose the “we’re in this together” thing & it becomes universally replaced by “everyone for themselves“ which a shit place to be.
Exactly right
Yes. But Lab could have dodged this had they highlighted it as a problem and prioritised fixing it when they came to office. But they have a cultural problem with dealing with law and order issues - they worry it makes them sound unfashionable, suburban, Daily Mailish, probably racist. So they deny the problem exists.
It’s Labour’s bad luck that the consequences of the last government effectively making petty crime legal in this country have really come to the fore during their tenure in government. But ultimately that won’t make any difference at the ballot box - what people are going to ask themselves is “has Labour done anything to try and fix this, or have they spent the last four years denying that the problem even exists?”
People don’t like being taken for fools & if you see people stealing from high street shops & fare dodging all the time, you feel like you’re the one being taken for a mug. The perception that the public sphere has become degraded is everywhere & we need to reverse it, because otherwise we lose the “we’re in this together” thing & it becomes universally replaced by “everyone for themselves“ which a shit place to be.
Exactly right
Yes. But Lab could have dodged this had they highlighted it as a problem and prioritised fixing it when they came to office. But they have a cultural problem with dealing with law and order issues - they worry it makes them sound unfashionable, suburban, Daily Mailish, probably racist. So they deny the problem exists.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
12 million views of his video and still climbing. He must be deeply alarmed
How long before Vance weighs in? Britain is broken and overrun by feral criminals, needs to become the 52nd state etc etc.
The most visible and audible example of petty crime around us at the moment is kids riding hacked Lime Bikes.
It’s both profoundly irritating, particularly given their smug faces and the annoying beeping a hacked Lime bike makes, and also bizarrely nostalgic to see so many young boys (always boys) riding around on bikes rather than sitting staring at iPads.
One GOOD thing I've noticed is the death of young versions of @Dura_Ace wanking about on motorbikes with deafening exhausts. They were an absolute menace as recently as 18 months ago. Through the evening, into the night, so loud it would drive anyone close by insane, and near-constant
Loathsome, pointless, selfish
And yet, they've suddenly dwindled to near nothing. You hear the odd one every now and again, once every few days, for a few seconds
Does anyone know why? Is it a fashion, or a fashion dying out? Is it new electric bikes and scooters?
E-twats are less noticeable to the police than noisy twats.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
If only he'd been more interested when he had the opportunity to do something about it. Or was he asleep at the wheel whilst in Government?
Do you twits really think this is how retail politics works? That the average Brit - enraged by urban decay and crime - is going to think “oh wait he’s the Tory that did the suspect deal when he was a junior minister for apricot imports, so I shan’t watch his video”
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
I did think Jenrick had captured the zeitgeist yesterday, but as time moves along and his back catalogue of misbehaviour is highlighted, by this time next week he may even regret the stunt. It's not like he is popular with those he is stabbing in the back.
12 million views of his video and still climbing. He must be deeply alarmed
How long before Vance weighs in? Britain is broken and overrun by feral criminals, needs to become the 52nd state etc etc.
I'm not sure if Musky is going to be a loyal mouthpiece anymore.
One hopes that Vance will look at USA crime statistics before he puts his mouth into gear.
Remember when Chump was demanding that London was a killing ground compared to New York?
Comments
Let’s assume Trump is a bog standard bully who thrives on others’ weakness, but tends to fold when confronted (as indeed the TACO thing is all about). And also a narcissist who always wants to be the winner and whines when he’s not.
When people tease and goad him as someone who always caves, does this:
A. Hurt his pride so much that he becomes more determined to prove them wrong and come out the winner
B. Dent his confidence and make him even more likely to cave?
Or put another way, is the best way to stiffen Trump’s resolve to tell everyone that he always wins and make it a self-fulfilling prophesy, or tell everyone he always caves and lay down the gauntlet for him?
The twin traits of the narcissist bully kind of fight against each other in this one.
What is capacity like in the Philippine remand system?
Rather like the tunes to the Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise get me stressed about the working week.
It was less than 24 hours ago markets were at a 70% chance of China tariffs ending by Monday. It’s crazy.
https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1928102280881963426?s=61
In April US imports were down by just under 20% too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_UK–TUV_alliance
Mark King, he of Level 42, says his Xmas tour every year is all he needs to do for an annual income. Nice.
I'll be honest: I've seen worse. This kind of concrete rectilinear block clad in cladding is quite common these days. Unfortunately. See this link https://maps.app.goo.gl/K66SZx6GptESCb5h9 for an example in Cardiff.
Yesterday I was at an auction house in Ruislip collecting art purchased at auction. There was a beautiful longcase clock awaiting collection, I asked how much it had sold for. It went for £60. Astonishing.
Mind you I was not in the awful world of work then, just school, and I generally enjoyed school.
Fantastic performers live. Not the greatest band but a solid back catalogue. Worth thirty five quid.
🇨🇿Czech Foreign Minister on 🇷🇺Russian demands for non-expansion of NATO
"NATO expansion meets the security interests of the Russian Federation. Where Russia borders NATO countries, there is no war. In other places, there is." — wrote the Head of the Czech Foreign Ministry Jan Lipavsky
https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1928372712574963862
Keeps good time.
https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/sydney-sweeney-unveils-bar-of-soap-made-from-her-bathwater-99cxgw0ms
Last night's conflagration in the High Street is everywhere:
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2025-05-30/investigation-launched-after-125-firefighters-tackle-fire-at-high-street-shop
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/east-ham-fire-east-london-london-fire-brigade-b1230374.html
Bigger than Jenrick, more significant than Trump, more relevant than something of relevance.
What an exceptionally crass product idea.
What are the chances of me “getting lucky” so often?
Not very high. This would indicate that my local Marks and Sparks is being hit several times a day - every single day. Robert Jenrick is on to a winner with his campaigns
Vance: I've heard a lot of the criticisms, the fear that we're going to have a brain drain. If you go back to the 50s and 60s, the American space program, the program that was the first to put a human being on the surface of the moon was built by American citizens. Some German and Jewish scientists who had come over during World War two, but mostly by American citizens…
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1928268922899284411
https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24161207/belle-delphine-bathwater-paypal-adult-content
He can talk about these things as much as he wants but it’s easy to make him look responsible for the mess
No, they will see a Tory politician getting millions of views for apparently caring about this stuff, unlike any other politician in the country bar Nigel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JigJ5pD5_4
(I thoroughly recommend Amy Shira Teitel's YouTube channel btw, which is here: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyShiraTeitel )
Tories either have no memory or no shame.
OTOH there must have been an uptick a year or two ago as the local Sainsbury's introduced an exit barrier from the self service tills.
He is being bigged up now but he has indirectly shone a light on the Desmond deal. It might be ignored, it might not, but these things have a habit of biting back.
What have I learned from the stunt? Jenrick is a diminutive 5ft5.
Thank you and good night!
People don’t like being taken for fools & if you see people stealing from high street shops & fare dodging all the time, you feel like you’re the one being taken for a mug. The perception that the public sphere has become degraded is everywhere & we need to reverse it, because otherwise we lose the “we’re in this together” thing & it becomes universally replaced by “everyone for themselves“ which a shit place to be.
In other words, Jenrick's videos might hurt Labour but they help Reform not his own party.
btw, according to the interwebs, Jenrick's constituency is even more lawless than London (although parts of London are grim).
https://crimerate.co.uk/nottinghamshire/newark
https://crimerate.co.uk/london
But as The Economist noted a fortnight back, shoplifting has increased TENFOLD in the last decade. So, no, this is not just Camden being Camden, it's a big nationwide issue - and it ties in with phone theft, fare dodging, littering, fly tipping, dodgy vape shops, graffiti, bike theft - exactly as Jenrick is illuminating. A general fraying of the social contract and a widespread decay of the urban realm
Labour are in power. They can't get away with saying "Oh Bobby Jenrick received 19,000 quid from a dodgy donor in 2017", not least because their OWN LEADER is Free Gear Keir, with a reputation for grift, greed and suspicious transactions
They have four years to sort out the blight in our towns (and migration, incomes, NHS) or they will be turfed out
These days a mahogany Pembroke table with a set of matching Queen Anne chairs costs less than a chipboard dining set from IKEA.
Do we have a statute of limitations here in the UK?
P.S. Paragraph one. Didn't you claim to once be in that cohort?
As for length of time set aside, this depends on the factors in play, how many witnesses there are as to the facts on both sides, and including the possibility of contested expert evidence, which could of course be mechanical, medical or other forensic.
Pleas not yet taken (August I think), so, wait and see. If contested expect an application to move it from Liverpool.
NEW THREAD
https://www.youtube.com/@GlennGreenwald/videos
Also: NEW THREAD!
If only he had a Yorkshire accent.
One hopes that Vance will look at USA crime statistics before he puts his mouth into gear.
Remember when Chump was demanding that London was a killing ground compared to New York?
I'll have a look ...