FlyTheNest

Morning all.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -ship-firm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Government cancels Brexit ferry contract with no-ship firm

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... -residents" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A rather windy and wet day here but that's enough about my personal habits.

-

HindleA wrote:A rather windy and wet day here but that's enough about my personal habits.

I recommend more fibre?

https://www.vodg.org.uk/news/human-righ ... ment-bill/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Human rights reform outrage – social care sector unites in open letter to Ministers criticising careless Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill

https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2019/0 ... c.html?m=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -ship-firm

Government cancels Brexit ferry contract with no-ship firm

On awarding the contract. Guardian, 30th December

A Department for Transport spokesman added: “This contract was awarded in the full knowledge that Seaborne Freight is a new shipping provider, and that the extra capacity and vessels would be provided as part of its first services. As with all contracts, we carefully vetted the company’s commercial, technical and financial position in detail before making the award.”

Chris Grayling defending the decision,Guardian, 2nd January

“It’s a new start-up business, government is supporting new British business and there is nothing wrong with that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We have looked very carefully at this business, we have put in place a tight contract that makes sure they can deliver for us. I don’t see any problem with supporting a new British business." He said the firm would be ready to deliver services from April and had been “looked at very carefully by a team of civil servants who have done due diligence on the company and reached a view they can deliver”.

HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -ship-firm

Government cancels Brexit ferry contract with no-ship firm

Good to see that the BBC has given Labour a good grilling over this. After all, Chris Grayling needs to be given the time and space to plan his next triumph.

@adam

New computer all ok?

PorFavor wrote:

HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -ship-firm

Government cancels Brexit ferry contract with no-ship firm

Good to see that the BBC has given Labour a good grilling over this. After all, Chris Grayling needs to be given the time and space to plan his next triumph.

Very little surprises me about them these days.

I wonder why Arklow Shipping decided to pull out of the Seabourne thing? What did they discover that the Government was apparently incapable of discovering?

I believe that dredging work in connection with the Seabourne debacle had already started at Ramsgate. I trust that Seabourne will be honouring their commitment to pay the contractors for the work done to date.




Edited - typo

Unbelievable.

#MIDLEE

Have you Leeds fans seen https://twitter.com/LeedsByBielsa" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?
Practice your French.


Leeds Loco United
‏

@LeedsByBielsa
39m39 minutes ago
More
GOOOOOOAAAAAAL Phillips !!!!! Au bout du suspense, le Leeds de Bielsa arrache le match nul sur le terrain de Boro (1-1). Un résultat qui permet à notre #LUFC d’etre leader du championnat, avant Norwich-Ipswich dimanche. #MIDLEE

After fully one hundred minutes - let no Leeds fan ever speak derisively of "Fergie time" again

Good, balanced, piece by Owen Jones, on the Berger situation.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... tisemitism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep, the only sensible position. Given the dodgy past pronouncements of one of the no-confidence movers, I am glad the motion has been set aside.

No thanks to Tom Watson for rushing in with hobnailed boots, however

Afternoon all. 'Er indoors working...orient not playing...so a day in the library was clearly on the cards.

I see Kate Hoey has been digging herself a deeper hole...and I like this

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are a few dimwits in the Labour Party but she really does outshine all of them.

I've just realised that I've been spelling "Seaborne" incorrectly. It has no "u" - which makes sense. Apologies.

Disgrace,but kudos for admitting to such a heinous act.

Royals come to the rescue again. Philip has relinquished his driving licence. So I expect that's all we'll hear about for some time.

https://unherd.com/2019/02/can-we-be-tr ... =sideshare" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... l-campaign" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor wrote:Royals come to the rescue again. Philip has relinquished his driving licence. So I expect that's all we'll hear about for some time.

Corbyn - does he drive?

Genuine question btw.

AnatolyKasparov wrote:

PorFavor wrote:Royals come to the rescue again. Philip has relinquished his driving licence. So I expect that's all we'll hear about for some time.

Corbyn - does he drive?

Genuine question btw.

I don't know - but I somehow doubt it. He may hold a driving licence, though.

It's a shame that Philip doesn't have access to a bit of private land. A small field or something. Then he could carry on regardless.

SDLP (remember them) have just voted in favour of joining up with Fianna Fail. Maybe a good moment for our Labour party to properly start organising there?

PorFavor wrote:@adam

New computer all ok?

It's at that 'don't touch it, you'll ruin it' stage.

I think it's interesting that the last one of these I bought about nine years ago, was full of ports to connect up with this that and the other - DVD drive and memory card slots and multiple USBs and HDMI and ethernet and what have you.And this one comes with just two thunderbolt ports, one of which is the power socket. I've had to go and buy USB to thunderbolt adapters to get old stuff from a hard drive back onto this new machine.

So new plan - pass May's deal but make it subject to a 'this or remain' referendum. A sizable section of her party won't go for it at all - if there's anything in the story it will be an interesting test of just how beholden she really is to them.

@adam

I think I got your general drift - but I only really understood the first sentence!


Edited to add - I mean your computer post!

A political correspondent on Sky TV News who, after having enthusiastically catalogued Chris Grayling's many failings, just opined that Theresa May won't sack him (CG) because he gives "credibility" (which I can only take to be code for "support") to her approach on "Brexit".

She really is desperate.





Edited - tidy up

Sack Grayling over the Brexit ferry fiasco, demand MPs
Cross-party calls for transport secretary’s dismissal follow collapse of £13.8m contract to Seaborne Freight

Jacob Rees-Mogg, another leading pro-Brexit Tory MP, suggested Arklow might have ended support after political pressure in Ireland. (Observer)

The EU's fault, in other words, and nothing to do with Chris Grayling at all.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -secretary

Night night.

http://www.stephenunwin.uk/thoughts-and ... puppetgate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/ ... g-families" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Families facing perfect storm of rises in utility bills

Us non family households seemingly exempt.

Phew

Or perhaps "imperfect storm"

Stor

Labour should also commit to extension of Winter Fuel Payments.It saves money

Good-morning, everyone

Personally I found the puppet thing,especially in the context of mother of autistic child and carer,significantly weird.

I note that the hashtag #DangerousHero seems quite popular on Twitter this morning, can't imagine why

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I note that the hashtag #DangerousHero seems quite popular on Twitter this morning, can't imagine why

No joke, I sincerely thought one newspaper's front page image indicated an end of T May; I was totally confused. Mind you, I wasn't wearing my glasses; all I saw were the biggest words and the name of the publication.

Mr citizen and I sometimes look at tabloid headlines in order to find out what scares powerful people most. It's typically reliable.

HindleA wrote:Personally I found the puppet thing,especially in the context of mother of autistic child and carer,significantly weird.

Indeed, I can't imagine how the play can succeed as a commendable work of art given what I've read from the review link you've provided. The creator of the play uses a puppet onstage for the role of the autistic child. Is the image of puppet included at the end of the piece from the play? I assume it is. It looks disturbing. Neither the author of the review or I have seen or read the play. Does it matter we've not seen or read it prior judging it? Sincere question.

edited to add
using the word sincere - what do I mean by that
I'll decide not to see or read something based upon what I've read or heard about a work and there's nothing wrong with that. Individuals deciding to read or see something must do this all the time. Does that extend to reviewers? Is it necessary seeing or reading a disturbing work in its entirety before judging it? Is it enough to see a part? I genuinely don't know.

https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/th ... 61241.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA wrote:https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/th ... 61241.html

I understand better now. I liked Stephen Unwin's article you've linked above; it provided an example of alternative character representation onstage.

Successful portrayal of characters onstage, in film or literary works separates good work from bad. Based on what others having read and seen Alex Oates' work, greater creativity should've gone into how best to successfully portray the autistic character.

There's a show on the BBC called "The A Word" which explores the impact on a family of the diagnosis of their son with autism and it's really good. It's based on an Israeli tv show called "Yellow Peppers". The autistic boy is played by a regular child actor called Max Vento and he does a really good job in the role. He's very young, though, so if you want to explore the difficulties faced by families dealing with violent behaviour of course you can't get a young child actor to portray this really so The A Word explores this aspect of autism with a subplot involving a teenage character played by an autistic actor called Travis Smith. In one episode he is seen to experience a major meltdown, punching walls etc that really brings home some of the challenges facing families bringing up autistic children.

I guess what I'm basically saying is that when you already have brilliant and sensitive shows like this about autism out there, leading the way, it's very hard to understand how something as ill conceived as using a puppet to portray an autistic boy ever got anywhere near production.

https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/ ... th-qa.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Great win by England, more than made up for the matches yesterday.

PTO