Saturday September 27th & Sunday 28th September 2014

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:08 am

Morning!

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:35 am

Quiet here. How about this for an interesting graphic to start the weekend? It shows both total internet populations by country (expressed as area) and the % of the population that have access (expressed as shading). From http://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/?page=int ... enetration" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:36 am

This, from last night.

BBC NewsnightVerified account
‏@BBCNewsnight
UKIP's Stuart Wheeler: "Our policies, except for a few, are very, very similar to the Conservatives" #newsnight

This in a nutshell is UKIP's problem - they're simply inept. At the same time that Farage is parking his tanks on Labour's lawn and trying to be all welcoming to Labour voters, he then says to one group "no way are are you going to get Labour-friendly plicies in the manifesto" but one of his major backers says "Actually we're just Tories"

All very amusing though.

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:46 am

Just to repeat what I posted last night.

David Cameron offers 20% discount on new homes
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... n-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back of a fag packet is probably doing it too much justice.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:50 am

Spacedone wrote:Just to repeat what I posted last night.

David Cameron offers 20% discount on new homes
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... n-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back of a fag packet is probably doing it too much justice.

Morning all.

How many days are we expecting before this "future policy" is clarified?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:52 am

StephenDolan wrote:
Spacedone wrote:Just to repeat what I posted last night.

David Cameron offers 20% discount on new homes
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... n-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back of a fag packet is probably doing it too much justice.
Morning all.

How many days are we expecting before this "future policy" is clarified?

And how does that fit with the right wing narrative that the mansion tax would be "very disruptive" of the housing market and it would all end in tears?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:54 am

Morning.

Just waving to Giselle97, who is viewing the site at the moment.
Hope the buyer problems have been resolved for you Giselle.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 8:57 am

Tucked in the middle of that Groan article is a comment that these new starter homes will be exempt from the affordable homes legislation.

Does that mean they can stack them up in city centres, waiving carbon legislation and various taxes, then sell them discounted to what were once described as "yuppies"?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:00 am

Here's the Times having a go at the Mansion Tax, showing how a poor old dear of 84 would lose her family home

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/prop ... 219312.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:03 am

yahyah wrote:Morning.

Just waving to Giselle97, who is viewing the site at the moment.
Hope the buyer problems have been resolved for you Giselle.

And I'll wave back!
This one finger/one character at s time is really arduous on a tablet.
I did post earlier but my post, like me a bit, went AWOL!
Just last night back from Spain and settled in nicely to a Premier Inn at Peterborough until I get my head around the "What next now Giselle?" question!

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:05 am

Actually there's some pretty astute comments on that housing thread and an almost tolerable number of trolls

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:06 am

giselle97 wrote:
yahyah wrote:Morning.

Just waving to Giselle97, who is viewing the site at the moment.
Hope the buyer problems have been resolved for you Giselle.
And I'll wave back!
This one finger/one character at s time is really arduous on a tablet.
I did post earlier but my post, like me a bit, went AWOL!
Just last night back from Spain and settled in nicely to a Premier Inn at Peterborough until I get my head around the "What next now Giselle?" question!

Exciting times for you then. Keep in touch

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:12 am

This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:29 am

giselle97 wrote:This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.

It's happened before.
In 1951 they endorsed the Tories & the Liberals, and in 1955 they endorsed the Tories.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablo ... ed-picture

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:51 am

Spam invasion again.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 9:54 am

Morning all.

Not often you see the words "nicely" and "Peterborough" in the same sentence! *

* Fifteen years living there. Some of the city is nice, especially the cathedral; most of the people are not nice!

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:14 am

giselle97 wrote:This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.

I reckon that too, some bollocks along the lines of ''the coalition is on the right path, let them finish the job'' I cannot see them coming out for Labour, too many Blairites who would prefer a Cameron government to an Ed Miliband led one. I may be wrong, but if I am it wont be by much.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:20 am

Christ the spammers are busy this morning. And what crap they keep on about, one earlier on about stolen cars in western Europe, then veered off onto urinary tract infections which can infect a woman's vaginal passage, of course miracle cures on offer. During the night I zapped a Benji from Bangladesh flogging Viagra..

Whack-a-mole indeedy.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:31 am

Love the sub heading on the Guardian piece about a 20% reduction for new homes, Cameron ''highlights affordable housing as a key election issue'' so what have Labour been harking on about for the last two years then?

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:42 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:
giselle97 wrote:This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.
I reckon that too, some bollocks along the lines of ''the coalition is on the right path, let them finish the job'' I cannot see them coming out for Labour, too many Blairites who would prefer a Cameron government to an Ed Miliband led one. I may be wrong, but if I am it wont be by much.
I think you may have hit the nail on the head there.

I think it was GrimSqueaker the other day who suggested that a Miliband defeat would basically mean the end of progressive politics as it would allow the Blairites to retake control of Labour and preclude any leftwing alternative ever arising. I think, for Rusbridger, that would be a prize worth fighting for.

Guilty as charged M'lud. Hence my frustration with those who are dissing Miliband for not being radical enough, they are doing Lynton & Rusbridgers's work for them; part of me still thinks (hopes) that once Miliband is across the threshold he'll be freed up to show a more radical side - you don't (metaphorically) sit at Tony Benn's feet and learn nothing.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:46 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Love the sub heading on the Guardian piece about a 20% reduction for new homes, Cameron ''highlights affordable housing as a key election issue'' so what have Labour been harking on about for the last two years then?

It's a daft 'policy' and very transparent election bribery. The build saving is to be achieved by taking away the need for said houses to be zero carbon rated .... and he's proud of this!

There's a lovely comment exchange BTL with someone saying words to the effect of 'so much for the greenest government ever' and someone else quickly responding 'no, that was a typo, he meant 'greediest' government ever'.

Sums up this government so sweetly.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:55 am

Good morning.

Thanks to Spacedone for the Mail headline on the Conservatives' Lego homes!

Edited

To add an apperstrofe.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 10:59 am

Dominic Grieve fears Tories will dilute UK’s commitment to human rights law
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... commitment

Next Wednesday Cameron will give the leader’s speech to the Conservative party conference, where many people expect him to focus on the ECHR. It is party policy to scrap the Human Rights Act, which enshrines the ECHR’s principles in domestic law, should the Tories win an overall majority after the next election.

Grieve said he was particularly concerned by the suggestion “that we would only implement the ECHR if a parliamentary motion said that the government should” for each specific piece of legislation – a move that he said would leave Britain open to the claim that it was failing to adhere to its international obligations.

“I think there’s quite a risk this may be announced next week,” said Grieve, who had “been left with the impression that there may be things that are going to come up that I may be uncomfortable with.”

Jeez - that sounds like the worst mess possible. Pick and mix human rights. That's just not doable, surely?

Elsewhere I see Grayling has already flagged the Tories will get rid of ECHR. Lib Dems - where are you? - want another coalition with this lot?

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:01 am

Morning all
I was sent a message either last night or this AM but the sender deleted it before I saw it.
I now have a message saying "1 unread message" but can't open it so its just sitting there.
How do I get remove it - any one know?

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:08 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:
giselle97 wrote:This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.
I reckon that too, some bollocks along the lines of ''the coalition is on the right path, let them finish the job'' I cannot see them coming out for Labour, too many Blairites who would prefer a Cameron government to an Ed Miliband led one. I may be wrong, but if I am it wont be by much.
I think you may have hit the nail on the head there.

I think it was GrimSqueaker the other day who suggested that a Miliband defeat would basically mean the end of progressive politics as it would allow the Blairites to retake control of Labour and preclude any leftwing alternative ever arising. I think, for Rusbridger, that would be a prize worth fighting for.

This is where Ed's changes to Labour's internal election rules come in, though.

I have little doubt that one of the motivations was precisely to make that less likely - a disproportionately Blairite PLP (though that will become less true after the GE, almost regardless of the result) will lose much of its previous power to set the agenda in any future leadership election.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:12 am

Disgraced Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock says he won’t pay back a penny of inquiry costs (News)

Looks as if there might be another court case looming. More taxpayers' money.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/ ... -1-6324956

Edited to try to get the quote done properly. Could be a record-breaking day . . .

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:15 am

: DogDorriesInTheMorning.jpg (32.76 KiB) Viewed 21278 times

Ripe for UKIP - the party of 'fun' - wouldn't you say?

Warning: the full picture is even more ..... what's the word I'm looking for .... ?

Nadine Dorries MP ‏@NadineDorriesMP 32m
Morning kisses from a puppy are the best pic.twitter.com/1gJrblFGeb

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:16 am

AngryAsWell wrote:Morning all
I was sent a message either last night or this AM but the sender deleted it before I saw it.
I now have a message saying "1 unread message" but can't open it so its just sitting there.
How do I get remove it - any one know?

That happened to me on the old site & it was only removing to this the new site I have a clean slate. Good luck.

Jesus, I'm in a cranky mood.

Image after image of that visual obscenity the ukip leader on the Guardian.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:19 am

giselle97 wrote:This site is looking good!

I think we should have a poll.

Who will the Guardian back in May 2015?

I say it'll come out for a full blown Tory Gov.

As I have said more than once before, this is unlikely.

Though that is due more to the commercial damage it would do to the paper (the print edition, especially) rather than any principled objection.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:20 am

Speaking of visual obscenities look at that dog Dorries is with.

That isn't fair.

The dog is fine.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:21 am

BBC Politics ‏@BBCPolitics 21m
UKIP plans to open a new branch in the south Wales valleys next month, claims its Welsh MEP. http://bbc.in/1yuKGzg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Have to say - embarrassed that Wales elected this piece of work. I hope we're not going to elect any more of them.

We need letsskip down at that office to do a whack-a-mole job in her finest, most forthright, manner.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:25 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
BBC Politics ‏@BBCPolitics 21m
UKIP plans to open a new branch in the south Wales valleys next month, claims its Welsh MEP. http://bbc.in/1yuKGzg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have to say - embarrassed that Wales elected this piece of work. I hope we're not going to elect any more of them.

We need letsskip down at that office to do a whack-a-mole job in her finest, most forthright, manner.

Ah, yes...ukip mep making money off the labour of care workers shipped in from another country housed in a dormitory next to their place of work. Unbelievable.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:27 am

Have to be careful about kissing puppies, you never know if they ate their own shit during the night, terriers are especially bad.

Yes Rebecca I am looking forward in the coming months to telling numbskulls voting for a party to the right of Thatch is just what we need!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:31 am

RobertSnozers wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:
Spacedone wrote:Just to repeat what I posted last night.

David Cameron offers 20% discount on new homes
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... n-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back of a fag packet is probably doing it too much justice.
Morning all.

How many days are we expecting before this "future policy" is clarified?
A wonderful policy to rebalance the economy away from the housing market, prevent the housing market overheating and raise sorely needed funds to help tackle the deficit.

...is a completely different policy to this one. This policy is a transparent bribe offered by a desperate PM.

Read yesterday house prices are about to hit 2007 bubble levels. I presume they're looking at the SE housing market and other hot spots rather than up north.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:33 am

Tory plan to force through EVEL advances
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... commitment

Cash told Coffee House that it was imperative that the government avoided bringing in EVEL through legislation as it would almost certainly end up with a Supreme Court challenge.

Their contempt for due process is so blatant ...

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:40 am

I go on a football website that is identical to this, even down to the colour scheme. You can create polls on there, is it possible on here?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:47 am

Universal credit 'undeliverable' says former head of the civil service
Sir Bob Kerslake bows out with a dig at the culture of deference that failed to recognise flaws in benefit reform
http://www.theguardian.com/public-leade ... il-service

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:48 am

Cripes. Re the housing market:

I've just checked. At the height of the boom, one bedroom maisonettes, were around £147,000 in 2007. The lowest they dropped when the recession hit was around £130,000.
A year ago they'd crept back up to £147,000. Today [and they're leasehold] they are going for £165,000.
It's probably the one bedroom making them so popular and likely to fall a bit if the bedroom tax is dropped.

Post by **refitman** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:53 am

frightful_oik wrote:I go on a football website that is identical to this, even down to the colour scheme. You can create polls on there, is it possible on here?

You can. You will need to create a new topic in one of the forums. At the very bottom of the page are the poll options.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 11:59 am

Free Michael Hilton! Scrap the Bedroom Tax!
http://shirazsocialist.wordpress.com/20 ... droom-tax/
Michael Hinton, a mentally ill man from Accrington was being evicted from his home of 33 years for £500 worth of bedroom tax arrears, when he tried ...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:03 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Disgraced Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock says he won’t pay back a penny of inquiry costs (News)

Looks as if there might be another court case looming. More taxpayers' money.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/ ... -1-6324956

Edited to try to get the quote done properly. Could be a record-breaking day . . .

Yesterday evening I think, I posted a link that said, if he stands in 2015, and even if he loses, he'll get six months pay.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:06 pm

citizenJA wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:Morning all
I was sent a message either last night or this AM but the sender deleted it before I saw it.
I now have a message saying "1 unread message" but can't open it so its just sitting there.
How do I get remove it - any one know?
That happened to me on the old site & it was only removing to this the new site I have a clean slate. Good luck.

Jesus, I'm in a cranky mood.

Image after image of that visual obscenity the ukip leader on the Guardian.

Thanks for the warning. I didn't go there yesterday and won't today!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:10 pm

: JesusOnAToiletFloor.jpg (118.25 KiB) Viewed 21223 times

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/index.html

Juxtaposition is all.

Wonderful example of the Mail's prioritisation of news .... doncha think?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:18 pm

Relish Hendy ‏@relish_hendy 2h
#UKIPConf14 shame UKIP exploiting an ex miner FARAGE hailed orgreave an achievement of THATCHER! @sypplsassembly @SheffieldStar

That will have put the lid on any Northern support won't it?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:19 pm

UKIP deputy leader deletes web page calling for end of NHS
http://tompride.wordpress.com/2014/09/2 ... nd-of-nhs/

Sorry we can't escape UKIP even over here. But at least we can try to post some reality - countering the nicey nicey, we're all optimists and on the side of ordinary people - guff.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:20 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
JesusOnAToiletFloor.jpg
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/index.html

Juxtaposition is all.

Wonderful example of the Mail's prioritisation of news .... doncha think?

This bit in the caption beneath the photo' in your link -

JesusOnAToiletFloor.jpg [ 118.25 KiB | Viewed 2 times ] (Mail)

amused me. Is that like "Christ on a bike!"?

The ever sensitive, tasteful Mail.

Edited

to substitute lower case "a"

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:29 pm

Just to say -

The reason I always say why I've edited a post, even when it's trivial, is in case the "edited by\on\at" thingy appears. So, in case it does, I feel that other posters have a right to know what I've changed. You never know - some day it might be something important!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:47 pm

The most magnificent owl glided across our path as we were out in Gloucestershire last night.

Now I wish I were more knowledgeable about owls so I could tell you what it was (had a beautiful white underbody anyway) - but as I'm not I'm reassuring myself with the likelihood that it was a Labour owl. A highly prized species.

Editing to add: This seems to fit the bill. Great to see.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_owl#m ... flying.jpg

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 12:51 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:The most magnificent owl glided across our path as we were out in Gloucestershire last night.

Now I wish I were more knowledgeable about owls so I could tell you what it was (had a beautiful white underbody anyway) - but as I'm not I'm reassuring myself with the likelihood that it was a Labour owl. A highly prized species.

I'm in Gloucs at the moment. Saw some lovely buzzards yesterday near Newent.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 27 Sep, 2014 1:02 pm

Patients neglected at privately-run NHS hospital, watchdog finds
Criticism of Hinchingbrooke hospital by Care Quality Commission also highlights inadequate hygiene standards
(Guardian)

Who'd have thought it of that estimable workers' co-operative "Circle"?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... e-hospital

Where's Whatshername when you need her?