No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
Clearly the best tea is in London (although you'd be excused in not thinking so in that good tea in establishments of all sorts is very rare), but now perhaps the best coffee to be had too.
No. Italy has the best coffee, southern Italy has the best coffee in Italy, and Naples has the best coffee in southern Italy
I love the espresso. No fucking nonsense. Slammed down with a little cup of water and it’s a dose of black liquid crack. For one euro
Espresso is an Italian invention which the Americans have really fucked up. Ditto pizza. Probably lots more.
Albania is great for coffee. There's actually quite a few Vergnano 1888 places. Superb coffee. In the south they somehow make Turkish with the steam wand. (They actually call it Turkish, unlike most places where they call it Bosnian, Cypriot, Greek, domača etc)
Didn’t we invent a PB word for when a destination satisfyingly fulfils your clicheed expectations?
Naples did all of that for me last week. It was noisy filthy exciting noomy hectic chaotic tumbledown amusing beautiful and best of all the pizzas were as good as ever. The best pizzas in the world
How do they do it? The dough? The tomatoes?
You have this moment when you bring your takeaway pizza back to your Spanish quarters gaff and you open the box and take a bite and then you pause - and think - wait, this is different, this is ultra pizza. The platonic ideal of pizza
And again the simplest is the best. At most have a diavolo
No fucking around beyond that
I did enjoy Naples. Got propositioned by a whore walking back from the ferry port to my hotel having walked across Capri, I was sweaty and dusty. God knows why she thought I was up for a shag, mind you she was a bit rough to say the least.
Pompeii and Ercolano of course. And the King of Naples' erotica collection in the museum is amusing. And the fact that next time Vesuvius eruots they are fucked (it is a live volcano) but they continue oblivious to the risk
We are just winding up our ruby wedding anniversary weekend. We had the weekend at Fonab, outside Pitlochry. Last night we had the tasting menu with a bottle of champagne bought by our kids. There were several outstanding dishes but the halibut was probably the best. Melted like butter with a delicious fish seafood bisque. £120 a head for the meal and worth every penny. You remember meals like that for a long time. The marriage hasn't been bad either.
I tried to listen to the Kemi speech, but gave up after 3 words.
"Conservatives love Manchester."
The last time I recall them being there, Rishi Sunk shafted Manchester and the entire North by killing HS2, turning it into a £50bn branch line to Birmingham, then walked away with a smug smile on his face.
Fuck off, Kemi. You need to start by looking in the mirror. Then you might get a hearing.
This. One of the reasons for the rise of Reform, I suspect, is that the Tories talked about "levelling up" for a decade or more, and did the square root of fuck all about it.
I would be utterly astonished, though, if a future Reform government were to prove any different in that respect.
Of course they wouldn’t. An old boy I worked with many years ago said to me ‘whoever wins, it’s the civil service that gets in’
I’ve been to visit family in the Midlands this weekend, with her magnificence of course.
I’m struck by the investment in transport. Very visible, especially HS2.
Meanwhile in the North East we get very little and dualling the A1 has, once again, been cancelled. That’s more a symbol. Our transport investment is woeful.
Was flying over Oxfordshire a week or two back. The earthworks for the Oxford to Cambridge line were very apparent at altitude cutting across from Bicester etc towards Fenland.
Bedford to Cambridge is the proposed bit. Bicester to Bedford is largely extant.
If the planners were sensible, they would connect it to Luton Airport.
Personally, I would have said not connecting something to Luton Airport was a surer sign of sense.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I hear that when ordering a coffee in America you can have as many refills as you want for no extra charge. Although it sounds like you wouldn't want a refill.
So much of American retail-consumer society is like this. They provide the illusion of incredible variety - to an extent it becomes stressful - I’ve just gotten up. I just want coffee. And then at the end the product is mediocre. This tastes like tired filter coffee
And the bagel which took 15 minutes to prepare fresh is dull, chewy and the cream cheese is all wrong
Fuck these red states. Bet breakfasts in Alabama are better
Compare with Naples. You go to a cafe. You ask for a cappuccino and a pastry. That’s it. No choice
It arrives in 2 minutes and the cappuccino is superb and the pastry is delicious
Re Alabama:
Birmingham is decent for food, but once you leave that, it's all Denny's and not great.
I ate at a decent Indian restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.
Go to a stationary shop or the Post Office (if in UK). Get some Tippex. Apply some Tippex to your things and write on it. It's permanent enough to be last for some months and temporary enough to easily removed.
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Any video around to corroborate/show them up for the liar they are?
There's nothing useful. Apparently there's a dashcam from a lorry going the other way that shows me go up in the air and the car swerve, but there are two cars blocking the action
We are just winding up our ruby wedding anniversary weekend. We had the weekend at Fonab, outside Pitlochry. Last night we had the tasting menu with a bottle of champagne bought by our kids. There were several outstanding dishes but the halibut was probably the best. Melted like butter with a delicious fish seafood bisque. £120 a head for the meal and worth every penny. You remember meals like that for a long time. The marriage hasn't been bad either.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I hear that when ordering a coffee in America you can have as many refills as you want for no extra charge. Although it sounds like you wouldn't want a refill.
So much of American retail-consumer society is like this. They provide the illusion of incredible variety - to an extent it becomes stressful - I’ve just gotten up. I just want coffee. And then at the end the product is mediocre. This tastes like tired filter coffee
And the bagel which took 15 minutes to prepare fresh is dull, chewy and the cream cheese is all wrong
Fuck these red states. Bet breakfasts in Alabama are better
Compare with Naples. You go to a cafe. You ask for a cappuccino and a pastry. That’s it. No choice
It arrives in 2 minutes and the cappuccino is superb and the pastry is delicious
Yes, I'm not a great fan of choice and complexity in catering matters. Eg the casserole I'm cooking tonight. Chicken thighs, onions, carrots. Serve with boiled rice. Simple, authentic, tasty.
Imagine how wonderful it could be if you threw the rice in the bin and had potatoes, pasta, or bread
Left to my own devices I'd probably do mashed potato but my wife pretty much demands rice. She agitated for a bayleaf in the pot this evening too. So I had to compromise my principles there.
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
should make you very rich, have digby jones been on the phone yet
I tried to listen to the Kemi speech, but gave up after 3 words.
"Conservatives love Manchester."
The last time I recall them being there, Rishi Sunk shafted Manchester and the entire North by killing HS2, turning it into a £50bn branch line to Birmingham, then walked away with a smug smile on his face.
Fuck off, Kemi. You need to start by looking in the mirror. Then you might get a hearing.
Glad you gave it a proper listen before tossing your toys out of the pram - very even-handed.
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Any video around to corroborate/show them up for the liar they are?
There's nothing useful. Apparently there's a dashcam from a lorry going the other way that shows me go up in the air and the car swerve, but there are two cars blocking the action
There is a formula that covers this. If you were thrown 10 feet the speed at the point of collusion will have been around 20mph but that is very likely after a fairly sharp brake manoeuvre. If you are serious about pursuing a claim you will need to consult an accident reconstruction expert and give them as much detail as possible.
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I think most would agree (I certainly do) but Kemi's approach of leading with the ECHR gets it out of the way and allows that economy point to take centre stage without immigration looming as the elephant in the room.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I've been drinking mine with crud in the bottom, Bosnian style. Very nice, poky but better for lingering over than an espresso which you should knock back standing and walk out (or have as a stiffener between rounds of beer). Even learnt to make it.
Yesterday I was in the Genocide museum in Mostar. Sickening and chilling, really well-chosen exhibits that bring it home. It's not very big, no matter, I couldn't stay any longer.
One guy had his throat cut by Chetniks in 1943 and thrown off the bridge at Višegrad. They didn't do a very good job,he swum to the bank and survived. Fifty years later they did it again, tied his hands and feet this time.
Another guy had his wife and 10 kids killed by Chetniks in WW2. He remarried after the war and had 5 more. In 1993 they killed four of them.
Did this evil really pass us by? Why were we fucking around for several years before doing anything?
Because, the first few years, the Diplomatic Approach was the de rigueur. Apparently all they needed was stern resolution from Serious Chaps and lots of talking.
During this period, Thatcher (out of power) argued for arming the non-Serb forces. Lord Turd said, sneerily, that this would just be “Levelling the killing field.”
When that failed, UN Interventionism was tried. So soldiers from around the world watched at atrocities, while wearing Blue Helmets. And doing nothing.
Finally the Americans got bored/annoyed by Sebranica . And armed all the anti-Serb forces. By kept them on a tight leash (air power, control of logistics), they were prevented from massacring the Serbs back.
The American brokered peace deal was fairly simple. “If any of you gets vaguely tempted about a rematch, we will fuck you up real bad.”
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
should make you very rich, have digby jones been on the phone yet
I just want to get back to work and walking
I have no idea what happened, and I won't lie to get compensation
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Any video around to corroborate/show them up for the liar they are?
There's nothing useful. Apparently there's a dashcam from a lorry going the other way that shows me go up in the air and the car swerve, but there are two cars blocking the action
There is a formula that covers this. If you were thrown 10 feet the speed at the point of collusion will have been around 20mph but that is very likely after a fairly sharp brake manoeuvre. If you are serious about pursuing a claim you will need to consult an accident reconstruction expert and give them as much detail as possible.
Thanks for this, but I do just want to work and walk
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I think most would agree (I certainly do) but Kemi's approach of leading with the ECHR gets it out of the way and allows that economy point to take centre stage without immigration looming as the elephant in the room.
Kemi is not going to last long enough for that approach, and in any case you can't fatten a pig on market day.
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Any video around to corroborate/show them up for the liar they are?
There's nothing useful. Apparently there's a dashcam from a lorry going the other way that shows me go up in the air and the car swerve, but there are two cars blocking the action
There is a formula that covers this. If you were thrown 10 feet the speed at the point of collusion will have been around 20mph but that is very likely after a fairly sharp brake manoeuvre. If you are serious about pursuing a claim you will need to consult an accident reconstruction expert and give them as much detail as possible.
Just to add that I was seriously impressed by the lawyers/investigators my partner used after her collision. I was sceptical they could deliver anything given the lack of evidence but they were really resourceful, creative and aggressive - and she ended up with a decent settlement.
More importantly, she came home with a sense of justice with the police unable to do anything (understandably in this case). The incident has caused her serious ongoing anxiety when cycling through the city so well deserved imo.
I just bought the Logitech MX Master 4 mouse, replacing my old Logitech mouse from... from... from before I moved to America (so at least 8 years ago).
And it's really good. So if anyone wants a mouse upgrade that will probably last the best part of a decade, I recommend it.
I need to get one instantly. A Smithson tech recommendation is gold standard. You and your father introduced me to both Xiaomi phones and Nothing ear pods (both of which I'm using this minute). So Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse it is. Even if it does sound like a cartoon character.
Everyone in my family uses the Nothing ear buds. It's actually a bit of a hassle because they all look the bloody same, and people (specifically children) tend to pick up whichever ones are nearest (or charged).
I considered getting the yellow ones to avoid this issue... but they're very ugly.
Can't you just put a dot of coloured paint on yours?
I put stickers on it. But they keep peeling off.
Paint has certain advantages .
Try gloss or the stuff you use on an Airfix Model.
You'd need to de-grease the relevant bits of the buds first, though, e.g. with isopropyl alcohol or a dab of thinners. All that ear wax and oily sebum in the sweat will otherwise make the paint just slide off when dry, or not dry at all. (And a few plastics won't hold paint even then.)
I really can't do earbuds. They fall out, and if running my earholes get sweaty and really itchy.
Shokz behind-the-head bone conductors are, however, awesome
Shokz are brilliant. However, I do have the sneaking suspicion they will turn out to be the asbestos of the 2020s... all that near-brain vibration.
I absolutely no evidence for this - just a hunch. And it hasn't stopped me wearing them for 2-3 hours a day.
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I think most would agree (I certainly do) but Kemi's approach of leading with the ECHR gets it out of the way and allows that economy point to take centre stage without immigration looming as the elephant in the room.
Kemi is not going to last long enough for that approach, and in any case you can't fatten a pig on market day.
No, I mean at the Conference. She's done the ECHR on the Sunday, it seems fairly widely accepted, now the content of the Conference moves on. Her closing speech will focus a lot on the economy I suspect.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I hear that when ordering a coffee in America you can have as many refills as you want for no extra charge. Although it sounds like you wouldn't want a refill.
So much of American retail-consumer society is like this. They provide the illusion of incredible variety - to an extent it becomes stressful - I’ve just gotten up. I just want coffee. And then at the end the product is mediocre. This tastes like tired filter coffee
And the bagel which took 15 minutes to prepare fresh is dull, chewy and the cream cheese is all wrong
Fuck these red states. Bet breakfasts in Alabama are better
Compare with Naples. You go to a cafe. You ask for a cappuccino and a pastry. That’s it. No choice
It arrives in 2 minutes and the cappuccino is superb and the pastry is delicious
Too much choice is one of the biggest problems of modern life. Have you read "Enough" by John Naish?
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I think most would agree (I certainly do) but Kemi's approach of leading with the ECHR gets it out of the way and allows that economy point to take centre stage without immigration looming as the elephant in the room.
Kemi is not going to last long enough for that approach, and in any case you can't fatten a pig on market day.
No, I mean at the Conference. She's done the ECHR on the Sunday, it seems fairly widely accepted, now the content of the Conference moves on. Her closing speech will focus a lot on the economy I suspect.
At least she's prepared to talk about her new policy proposal at conference
Starmer announced a major new policy the day before conference, then apparently banned mention of it throughout conference
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
I think most would agree (I certainly do) but Kemi's approach of leading with the ECHR gets it out of the way and allows that economy point to take centre stage without immigration looming as the elephant in the room.
Kemi is not going to last long enough for that approach, and in any case you can't fatten a pig on market day.
No, I mean at the Conference. She's done the ECHR on the Sunday, it seems fairly widely accepted, now the content of the Conference moves on. Her closing speech will focus a lot on the economy I suspect.
At least she's prepared to talk about her new policy proposal at conference
Starmer announced a major new policy the day before conference, then apparently banned mention of it throughout conference
I’m intrigued to see what morale is like at this year’s conference. I’m there tomorrow doing a panel and a round table. Last year in Birmingham was a surprisingly jolly affair, as if the weight of government finally being lifted was a blessed relief all round. This year I imagine will be a quiet one.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
The last sentence is right, but the problem they have on the economy is that they have always messed it up when in office (in my adult lifetime, at least). So they aren't very credible there. Not sure what their way out is. Perhaps now the Ultras have all left for Reform, I think they should do a volte face on Europe, admit they're wrong and campaign for re-entry.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
And blocking the road. Will they get the A. JSO treatment or B. Welsh farmer treatment?
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Thank God you're more or less in one piece, hopefully. It's all that matters if so.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Different King, I imagine
One of the bits of culture war that really doesn't cross the Atlantic.
Though I admit to some posthumous satisfaction if this ends with the face-eating leopards eating the faces of debauched sex memoirists.
I'm back home, I've done thirteen and a half thousand steps and I'm not in too much pain
I think I might be ready for work in ten days
Nice one.
You’ll be in Devils End in no time.
Do you mean Devil's Den?
I might just do that walk again next week now you might have mentioned it
Devils end is a fictional village in Dr Who - The daemons. Filmed in Aldbourne. Probably the best Pertwee and Unit story.
I won't be walking to Aldbourne just yet. Maybe if I didn't have to walk back
I still might walk to the real Devil's Den. I think it's the opposite way
At Fyfield?
BTW did you get your walk down to Dorset last year? I do hope so. I don't recall seeing any reports on here.
Yes, at Fyfield
I did report here that I quit my walk to Dorset on day one. I got extremely wet, extremely lost, and extremely without phone signal after Avebury
A local Caleb came past in a tractor and offered me a lift. When I declined because je marche partout he directed me through the neighbouring meadow to save about a mile of walking
I took his advice and ended up walking through very wet shoulder high grass. A few miles after that I reached a road, and sat down in a layby
A lovely Irish lady stopped to check on me, and then drove me home
BTW and apologies if I have missed this, but what happened in your accident?
I got knocked out so don't remember the important details, but I got hit by a car while crossing the road at work
The driver claims I walked out in front of him and he was only going 25mph. But MRDA
I got thrown about ten foot in the air with a broken ankle and seven broken ribs
Thank God you're more or less in one piece, hopefully. It's all that matters if so.
I can't believe my luck, in a way
If my now broken ribs had been pointing slightly further around, I might have had a broken spine
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Different King, I imagine
I think so, but not something that has travelled well across the Atlantic.
Still, could have been worse. They could have chosen Jesus Army.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Different King, I imagine
I think so, but not something that has travelled well across the Atlantic.
Still, could have been worse. They could have chosen Jesus Army.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I hear that when ordering a coffee in America you can have as many refills as you want for no extra charge. Although it sounds like you wouldn't want a refill.
So much of American retail-consumer society is like this. They provide the illusion of incredible variety - to an extent it becomes stressful - I’ve just gotten up. I just want coffee. And then at the end the product is mediocre. This tastes like tired filter coffee
And the bagel which took 15 minutes to prepare fresh is dull, chewy and the cream cheese is all wrong
Fuck these red states. Bet breakfasts in Alabama are better
Compare with Naples. You go to a cafe. You ask for a cappuccino and a pastry. That’s it. No choice
It arrives in 2 minutes and the cappuccino is superb and the pastry is delicious
Too much choice is one of the biggest problems of modern life. Have you read "Enough" by John Naish?
"Simplicity" by Edward De Bono is excellent. Too much complexity is one of the biggest problems of modern life.
I just bought the Logitech MX Master 4 mouse, replacing my old Logitech mouse from... from... from before I moved to America (so at least 8 years ago).
And it's really good. So if anyone wants a mouse upgrade that will probably last the best part of a decade, I recommend it.
I need to get one instantly. A Smithson tech recommendation is gold standard. You and your father introduced me to both Xiaomi phones and Nothing ear pods (both of which I'm using this minute). So Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse it is. Even if it does sound like a cartoon character.
Everyone in my family uses the Nothing ear buds. It's actually a bit of a hassle because they all look the bloody same, and people (specifically children) tend to pick up whichever ones are nearest (or charged).
I considered getting the yellow ones to avoid this issue... but they're very ugly.
Can't you just put a dot of coloured paint on yours?
I put stickers on it. But they keep peeling off.
Paint has certain advantages .
Try gloss or the stuff you use on an Airfix Model.
You'd need to de-grease the relevant bits of the buds first, though, e.g. with isopropyl alcohol or a dab of thinners. All that ear wax and oily sebum in the sweat will otherwise make the paint just slide off when dry, or not dry at all. (And a few plastics won't hold paint even then.)
I really can't do earbuds. They fall out, and if running my earholes get sweaty and really itchy.
Shokz behind-the-head bone conductors are, however, awesome
Shokz are brilliant. However, I do have the sneaking suspicion they will turn out to be the asbestos of the 2020s... all that near-brain vibration.
I absolutely no evidence for this - just a hunch. And it hasn't stopped me wearing them for 2-3 hours a day.
Bone conduction hearing aids have been around for decades, if that helps or not as the case may be.
Albeit for the deaf (a specific category where the middle ear bones are fused, but the stapedial window and cochlea are still working ok, IIRC).
That poll tells us next to nothing, not least as it does not even include hypothetical voting intention under Badenoch, Johnson, Jenrick and Cleverly. It also only compares v Farage not Starmer
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
Two tier Keir again *shakes fist*
The Salvation Army is a precedent in the UK. Uniformed, at least for the key activists in each branch. Though with rather different origins and modern practice.
And a defence lawyer might also have a go at the C of E as a further precedent. All those surplices and bishops' cassocks.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
Two tier Keir again *shakes fist*
The Salvation Army is a precedent in the UK. Uniformed, at least for the key activists in each branch. Though with rather different origins and modern practice.
And a defence lawyer might also have a go at the C of E as a further precedent. All those surplices and bishops' cassocks.
A defence lawyer might want to have a word with his own colleagues with the wigs and gowns and special ties.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
Two tier Keir again *shakes fist*
The Salvation Army is a precedent in the UK. Uniformed, at least for the key activists in each branch. Though with rather different origins and modern practice.
And a defence lawyer might also have a go at the C of E as a further precedent. All those surplices and bishops' cassocks.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
What's more AIUI, it is illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 to “wear uniforms in connection with political objects”. I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
Two tier Keir again *shakes fist*
The Salvation Army is a precedent in the UK. Uniformed, at least for the key activists in each branch. Though with rather different origins and modern practice.
And a defence lawyer might also have a go at the C of E as a further precedent. All those surplices and bishops' cassocks.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I hear that when ordering a coffee in America you can have as many refills as you want for no extra charge. Although it sounds like you wouldn't want a refill.
So much of American retail-consumer society is like this. They provide the illusion of incredible variety - to an extent it becomes stressful - I’ve just gotten up. I just want coffee. And then at the end the product is mediocre. This tastes like tired filter coffee
And the bagel which took 15 minutes to prepare fresh is dull, chewy and the cream cheese is all wrong
Fuck these red states. Bet breakfasts in Alabama are better
Compare with Naples. You go to a cafe. You ask for a cappuccino and a pastry. That’s it. No choice
It arrives in 2 minutes and the cappuccino is superb and the pastry is delicious
Too much choice is one of the biggest problems of modern life. Have you read "Enough" by John Naish?
"Simplicity" by Edward De Bono is excellent. Too much complexity is one of the biggest problems of modern life.
Somewhat related, I think "The Midas Plague" is worth looking out. Very much a farce by todays standards I guess (especially the early TV dramatisations of it). Possibly ripe for the re-telling.
That poll tells us next to nothing, not least as it does not even include hypothetical voting intention under Badenoch, Johnson, Jenrick and Cleverly. It also only compares v Farage not Starmer
Badenoch, Cleverly and Johnson poll better v Farage though than Jenrick does so its one impact may be to end Jenrick’s leadership hopes for now while Farage leads Reform
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
If Labour is scared of standing up to sectarian islamists I think the official opposition ought to say something about it. Or would that be 'culture wars?'
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
'buy back' housing? Is that that lunatic proposal of Lloyd Russell Moyle that councils should buy back all ex-council housing for the price they sold it rearing its head again?
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
If the Tories want to beat Farage, or at least do enough damage limitation that they are still in the game they need to get off Culture Wars and immigration and talk nothing but economy. They should be able to comfortably beat both Reform and Labour on the issue. They should fight on their own turf, not his.
The last sentence is right, but the problem they have on the economy is that they have always messed it up when in office (in my adult lifetime, at least). So they aren't very credible there. Not sure what their way out is. Perhaps now the Ultras have all left for Reform, I think they should do a volte face on Europe, admit they're wrong and campaign for re-entry.
Osborne and Cameron cut the deficit from 10% in 2010 to 2% in 2016. Thatcher and Major increased gdp per capita and lowered tax and cut inflation by 1997 relative to 1979.
There are no votes in re entry though, centre right diehard Remainers who want to rejoin the EU will stay voting LD anyway and most of the remaining Conservative vote backed Leave and would go Reform if the Tories backed full rejoin the EU
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Extending right to buy to the private sector. Very Thatcherite.
Tbf, I have never understood why RTB *isn't* applied to the private rental sector. I'd sell to my tenant tomorrow if she wanted to buy the house.
Nor have I ever understood the lack of NI on all income. It's one reason why it's a stupid tax.
But in effect declaring only tenants would able to terminate tenancies? Lunacy. Why would they need to buy under such circumstances? It would effectively gift them the house anyway.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I've been drinking mine with crud in the bottom, Bosnian style. Very nice, poky but better for lingering over than an espresso which you should knock back standing and walk out (or have as a stiffener between rounds of beer). Even learnt to make it.
Yesterday I was in the Genocide museum in Mostar. Sickening and chilling, really well-chosen exhibits that bring it home. It's not very big, no matter, I couldn't stay any longer.
One guy had his throat cut by Chetniks in 1943 and thrown off the bridge at Višegrad. They didn't do a very good job,he swum to the bank and survived. Fifty years later they did it again, tied his hands and feet this time.
Another guy had his wife and 10 kids killed by Chetniks in WW2. He remarried after the war and had 5 more. In 1993 they killed four of them.
Did this evil really pass us by? Why were we fucking around for several years before doing anything?
Because, the first few years, the Diplomatic Approach was the de rigueur. Apparently all they needed was stern resolution from Serious Chaps and lots of talking.
During this period, Thatcher (out of power) argued for arming the non-Serb forces. Lord Turd said, sneerily, that this would just be “Levelling the killing field.”
When that failed, UN Interventionism was tried. So soldiers from around the world watched at atrocities, while wearing Blue Helmets. And doing nothing.
Finally the Americans got bored/annoyed by Sebranica . And armed all the anti-Serb forces. By kept them on a tight leash (air power, control of logistics), they were prevented from massacring the Serbs back.
The American brokered peace deal was fairly simple. “If any of you gets vaguely tempted about a rematch, we will fuck you up real bad.”
What a wonderful piece of weasel-speak is “levelling the killing field.”
I went on holiday to Dubrovnik in 2012. The owner of the apartment told us that his daughter was at Zagreb University when the fighting started. She and three other students were driving back to Dubrovnik, when their car was hit by a Serbian shell.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
Knowing a few, they are generally reasonably happy with drinking and whoring
Visited the King Charles the Martyr church yesterday in Tunbridge Wells. Built after the Restoration for those coming to the newly found spa it is a beautiful 17th century high church C of E building with mostly BCP services and a portrait of King Charles I plus coat of arms of the late King at the back. It is the most Tory church I have ever visited, no leftwing wokeism there plus too posh for Reformers
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Different King, I imagine
I think so, but not something that has travelled well across the Atlantic.
Still, could have been worse. They could have chosen Jesus Army.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
'buy back' housing? Is that that lunatic proposal of Lloyd Russell Moyle that councils should buy back all ex-council housing for the price they sold it rearing its head again?
My property empire is about to shrink 'cause I can see Starmer appropriating some of these policies.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
'buy back' housing? Is that that lunatic proposal of Lloyd Russell Moyle that councils should buy back all ex-council housing for the price they sold it rearing its head again?
John Locke's been thrown out of the window basically.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
'buy back' housing? Is that that lunatic proposal of Lloyd Russell Moyle that councils should buy back all ex-council housing for the price they sold it rearing its head again?
My property empire is about to shrink 'cause I can see Starmer appropriating some of these policies.
If he abolished NI and instead put contributory benefits on the number of years you paid income tax, which let's face it unlike in 1909 for most people will be most years, that would be one sensible policy.
Sure, it would double income tax but it would still be a sensible policy.
And taxed all income as income above the thresholds rather than this mess of exemptions and complications.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
Knowing a few, they are generally reasonably happy with drinking and whoring
Visited the King Charles the Martyr church yesterday in Tunbridge Wells. Built after the Restoration for those coming to the newly found spa it is a beautiful 17th century high church C of E building with mostly BCP services and a portrait of King Charles I plus coat of arms of the late King at the back. It is the most Tory church I have ever visited, no leftwing wokeism there plus too posh for Reformers
Interesting suggestion, though [edit] apparently the locals get very sniffy if you don't say *Royal* Tunbridge Wells (a friend's family lived there for some years, so I know ...).
You'd enjoy the contrast with Berwick-upon-Tweed. A good decent preaching venue (prop: O. Cromwell) spoilt by later camping up by High Churchmen. Part of a most interesting town - indeed, it's opposite the first purpose-built barracks in the UK.
A few years ago we had god botherers like this at The Village protesting the Sodom and Gomorrah that was The Village, they seemed utterly perplexed when I told them 'don't knock it until you've tried it.'
Honestly if you're that obsessed with gay sex you're so deeply buried in the closet you're having adventures in Narnia.
A few years ago we had god botherers like this at The Village protesting the Sodom and Gomorrah that was The Village, they seemed utterly perplexed when I told them 'don't knock it until you've tried it.'
Honestly if you're that obsessed with gay sex you're so deeply buried in the closet you're having adventures in Narnia.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Extending right to buy to the private sector. Very Thatcherite.
"total rent paid discounted."
So if you are a landlord and you rent the house to a family who don't move for years and years - say 20 - as they are bringing up kids and they are in local school etc etc and then finally you decide to sell then if they decide under 'first right to buy' to buy the house, you lose all the money you have been paid in rent for the last twenty years as a discount, knocking maybe £190K off the value of the house?
So you own an asset and make nothing for twenty years?
Eh?
It should be made very clear that this policy was voted through at lunchtime on final day of conference when half the delegates are already at the train station but even so...
That poll tells us next to nothing, not least as it does not even include hypothetical voting intention under Badenoch, Johnson, Jenrick and Cleverly. It also only compares v Farage not Starmer
Badenoch, Cleverly and Johnson poll better v Farage though than Jenrick does so its one impact may be to end Jenrick’s leadership hopes for now while Farage leads Reform
A second ago you were saying it told us next to nothing, now it potentially ends a candidate's leadership hopes. You are really a very silly boy.
No I don’t want to choose my blend, roast, origin, style, size, heat level, terroir, gluten levels and milk fat content of my coffee
Especially when at the end it tastes like very fucking average coffee
I miss Naples
I've been drinking mine with crud in the bottom, Bosnian style. Very nice, poky but better for lingering over than an espresso which you should knock back standing and walk out (or have as a stiffener between rounds of beer). Even learnt to make it.
Yesterday I was in the Genocide museum in Mostar. Sickening and chilling, really well-chosen exhibits that bring it home. It's not very big, no matter, I couldn't stay any longer.
One guy had his throat cut by Chetniks in 1943 and thrown off the bridge at Višegrad. They didn't do a very good job,he swum to the bank and survived. Fifty years later they did it again, tied his hands and feet this time.
Another guy had his wife and 10 kids killed by Chetniks in WW2. He remarried after the war and had 5 more. In 1993 they killed four of them.
Did this evil really pass us by? Why were we fucking around for several years before doing anything?
Because, the first few years, the Diplomatic Approach was the de rigueur. Apparently all they needed was stern resolution from Serious Chaps and lots of talking.
During this period, Thatcher (out of power) argued for arming the non-Serb forces. Lord Turd said, sneerily, that this would just be “Levelling the killing field.”
When that failed, UN Interventionism was tried. So soldiers from around the world watched at atrocities, while wearing Blue Helmets. And doing nothing.
Finally the Americans got bored/annoyed by Sebranica . And armed all the anti-Serb forces. By kept them on a tight leash (air power, control of logistics), they were prevented from massacring the Serbs back.
The American brokered peace deal was fairly simple. “If any of you gets vaguely tempted about a rematch, we will fuck you up real bad.”
What a wonderful piece of weasel-speak is “levelling the killing field.”
I went on holiday to Dubrovnik in 2012. The owner of the apartment told us that his daughter was at Zagreb University when the fighting started. She and three other students were driving back to Dubrovnik, when their car was hit by a Serbian shell.
Indeed.
Lord Turd is a Turd, as a result of that, forevermore.
Lord Turd of Sebranica, to give him his full title.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Extending right to buy to the private sector. Very Thatcherite.
"total rent paid discounted."
So if you are a landlord and you rent the house to a family who don't move for years and years - say 20 - as they are bringing up kids and they are in local school etc etc and then finally you decide to sell then if they decide under 'first right to buy' to buy the house, you lose all the money you have been paid in rent for the last twenty years as a discount, knocking maybe £190K off the value of the house?
So you own an asset and make nothing for twenty years?
Eh?
It should be made very clear that this policy was voted through at lunchtime on final day of conference when half the delegates are already at the train station but even so...
Sure, but isn't that pretty much what Mrs T did, down to 70% discount? The discount depended on time in occupation.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Extending right to buy to the private sector. Very Thatcherite.
"total rent paid discounted."
So if you are a landlord and you rent the house to a family who don't move for years and years - say 20 - as they are bringing up kids and they are in local school etc etc and then finally you decide to sell then if they decide under 'first right to buy' to buy the house, you lose all the money you have been paid in rent for the last twenty years as a discount, knocking maybe £190K off the value of the house?
So you own an asset and make nothing for twenty years?
Eh?
It should be made very clear that this policy was voted through at lunchtime on final day of conference when half the delegates are already at the train station but even so...
If I have read the proposals correctly, I cannot evict people even if they've not paid their rent for years.
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
Extending right to buy to the private sector. Very Thatcherite.
"total rent paid discounted."
So if you are a landlord and you rent the house to a family who don't move for years and years - say 20 - as they are bringing up kids and they are in local school etc etc and then finally you decide to sell then if they decide under 'first right to buy' to buy the house, you lose all the money you have been paid in rent for the last twenty years as a discount, knocking maybe £190K off the value of the house?
So you own an asset and make nothing for twenty years?
Eh?
It should be made very clear that this policy was voted through at lunchtime on final day of conference when half the delegates are already at the train station but even so...
Sure, but isn't that pretty much what Mrs T did, down to 70% discount? The discount depended on time in occupation.
Yeh but that was a discounted provided by the local authority i.e. us tax payers rather than a single private citizen.
Not that I agreed with Thatcher's policy anyway. Certainly not the idea the councils were blocked from building replacement social housing.
Have we done Turning Point funded Christian fundamentalists protesting against gay entertainment venues in Soho yet?
Yes a bit weird, not least because Soho is hardly a den of iniquity nowadays.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
These latter day Puritans don't have much of a grasp of the Civil War.
Knowing a few, they are generally reasonably happy with drinking and whoring
Visited the King Charles the Martyr church yesterday in Tunbridge Wells. Built after the Restoration for those coming to the newly found spa it is a beautiful 17th century high church C of E building with mostly BCP services and a portrait of King Charles I plus coat of arms of the late King at the back. It is the most Tory church I have ever visited, no leftwing wokeism there plus too posh for Reformers
There is one in Falmouth. The cult of King Charles the Martyr is believe, closely identified with High Church Anglo-Catholic Toryism (clearly, in the original sense, as in the party of the King and landed aristocracy)
Oh, that's a very nice illustration of the segmental innervation of the vertebrate body. Like the distribution of shingles. As well as, of course, the practical implications and variation thereof.
Comments
Pompeii and Ercolano of course. And the King of Naples' erotica collection in the museum is amusing. And the fact that next time Vesuvius eruots they are fucked (it is a live volcano) but they continue oblivious to the risk
Badenoch best Tory to challenge Farage, poll finds
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/10/05/badenoch-best-tory-to-challenge-farage-poll-finds/
With gold and diamond still to come
Enjoy your well deserved celebrations
Will your union not help you?
During this period, Thatcher (out of power) argued for arming the non-Serb forces. Lord Turd said, sneerily, that this would just be “Levelling the killing field.”
When that failed, UN Interventionism was tried. So soldiers from around the world watched at atrocities, while wearing Blue Helmets. And doing nothing.
Finally the Americans got bored/annoyed by Sebranica . And armed all the anti-Serb forces. By kept them on a tight leash (air power, control of logistics), they were prevented from massacring the Serbs back.
The American brokered peace deal was fairly simple. “If any of you gets vaguely tempted about a rematch, we will fuck you up real bad.”
I have no idea what happened, and I won't lie to get compensation
More importantly, she came home with a sense of justice with the police unable to do anything (understandably in this case). The incident has caused her serious ongoing anxiety when cycling through the city so well deserved imo.
I absolutely no evidence for this - just a hunch. And it hasn't stopped me wearing them for 2-3 hours a day.
Also rather odd to describe themselves as "The King's Army". The King already has an army, and the Royal family are hardly known for their sexual morality.
Starmer announced a major new policy the day before conference, then apparently banned mention of it throughout conference
I thought the government was all over protest designed to intimidate?
Though I admit to some posthumous satisfaction if this ends with the face-eating leopards eating the faces of debauched sex memoirists.
(I, of course, will be long gone by then.)
If my now broken ribs had been pointing slightly further around, I might have had a broken spine
But I escaped without even needing surgery
Here follows the Green Party’s Six Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Abolish Section 21 Evictions and make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant. (HO519)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide government backed finance to tenants. Give tenants First Right to Buy when Landlords sell, with their total rent paid discounted.
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given Second Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9).
https://www.greencoordinate.co.uk/motions/abolish-landlords/
Soho is the worst place in London to get lost in. You’re never quite sure if you’re stepping into a high class restaurant or a brothel.
It really is frightening for someone as innocent as me.
Still, could have been worse. They could have chosen Jesus Army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Army
Or even:
The Lords Resistance Army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord's_Resistance_Army
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20zeyynnrgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2025/08/14/could-one-man-win-both-strictly-come-dancing-and-the-next-london-mayoral-election/
Albeit for the deaf (a specific category where the middle ear bones are fused, but the stapedial window and cochlea are still working ok, IIRC).
And a defence lawyer might also have a go at the C of E as a further precedent. All those surplices and bishops' cassocks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atholl_Highlanders#/media/File:Atholl_Highlanders_inspection_2017-05-27.jpg
I can only imagine your embarrassment at accidentally ending up in a high class restaurant.
Edit: I see the early TV version is 100% legitimately available on archive.org https://archive.org/details/come-buttercup-come-daisy/Out+Of+The+Unknown+S01E12+-+The+Midas+Plague+-+1965.mkv
I guess that is the tell for real fascists - great dress sense.
Knowing a few, they are generally reasonably happy with drinking and whoring
There are no votes in re entry though, centre right diehard Remainers who want to rejoin the EU will stay voting LD anyway and most of the remaining Conservative vote backed Leave and would go Reform if the Tories backed full rejoin the EU
Nor have I ever understood the lack of NI on all income. It's one reason why it's a stupid tax.
But in effect declaring only tenants would able to terminate tenancies? Lunacy. Why would they need to buy under such circumstances? It would effectively gift them the house anyway.
Would recommend it The Foyer and Reading Room to everybody.
I went on holiday to Dubrovnik in 2012. The owner of the apartment told us that his daughter was at Zagreb University when the fighting started. She and three other students were driving back to Dubrovnik, when their car was hit by a Serbian shell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_God
As I remember - the 'fascists' were almost as menacing and butch as Lieutenant Hubert Gruber from Allo Allo.
John Locke's been thrown out of the window basically.
Sure, it would double income tax but it would still be a sensible policy.
And taxed all income as income above the thresholds rather than this mess of exemptions and complications.
https://x.com/TPointUK/status/1974446131427037270
You'd enjoy the contrast with Berwick-upon-Tweed. A good decent preaching venue (prop: O. Cromwell) spoilt by later camping up by High Churchmen. Part of a most interesting town - indeed, it's opposite the first purpose-built barracks in the UK.
Honestly if you're that obsessed with gay sex you're so deeply buried in the closet you're having adventures in Narnia.
So if you are a landlord and you rent the house to a family who don't move for years and years - say 20 - as they are bringing up kids and they are in local school etc etc and then finally you decide to sell then if they decide under 'first right to buy' to buy the house, you lose all the money you have been paid in rent for the last twenty years as a discount, knocking maybe £190K off the value of the house?
So you own an asset and make nothing for twenty years?
Eh?
It should be made very clear that this policy was voted through at lunchtime on final day of conference when half the delegates are already at the train station but even so...
Lord Turd is a Turd, as a result of that, forevermore.
Lord Turd of Sebranica, to give him his full title.
That’s why I was so chuffed when my beautiful hotel in Sardinia covered my enormous booze bill, as well. That’s not so common
If I’m sent to a restaurant - as I am tonight - then it will all be free
As a paraplegic, what can I feel?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/61TLwrZd5EI
Not that I agreed with Thatcher's policy anyway. Certainly not the idea the councils were blocked from building replacement social housing.
It’s frigging enormous. Host for the opening ceremony of the next Olympics
@atrupar
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Hegseth to the Navy: "Your diversity is not your strength"
https://x.com/atrupar