FlyTheNest

Morning all.

Some responses to Braverman

I suppose one obvious question to ask - is *this* legal?

World-beating organisation in the LP --

" If lower tax leads to more growth Somalia would be richer than Sweden "

There was a time when Somalia was a bit of a cause celebre for libertarians, but they try to pretend that didn't happen now.

Does UK have the most incompetent senior managers in the world ,

or are they, quite simply, just crooks ?


((shades of "Dave Sweetheart deals' Hartnett of HMRC, left 2012 next of Deloittes tax dept ))

" The head of a government quango responsible for wasting billions of pounds on Britain’s “broken” defence procurement system received a bonus of up to £100,000 last year.

Sir Simon Bollom is the chief executive of Defence Equipment & Support (DES), an arm’s-length body of the Ministry of Defence. He was awarded a bonus of between £95,000 and £100,000 on top of his salary of between £275,000 and £280,000."

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/defe ... -rl00qvxsg

It's a part of the Far Right IEA lobby group , there's a surprise --



This one begins with a clip of 'patient dumping' in the US, but it happens here too --

2013 --

" One of his household staff said it would cause national outrage if the news leaked to the media. They told the prince that “it would not be good for anybody” if it emerged that he had accepted money from the family of the perpetrator of the worst terrorist attack in history.

A second adviser also urged the prince to return the money. They told the prince he would suffer serious reputational damage if his name appeared in the same sentence as the terrorist, who was responsible for the murder of 67 Britons alongside thousands of Americans on 9/11. "

What reputation ?

So, did someone at Labour leak Audrey White's personal information (that she'd been expelled from the party)?

I see that both Sunak and Truss have both come out in favour of grammar schools. I would imagine that there are a fair number of Gove's people who might feel a bit miffed in being told that all of what they regard as policy successes over the decade count for nothing and what was really needed was a return to selection...

Of course "nearly half" also means less than half. And that's actual Tory supporters.

SpecialOffer — I finally managed to get my bank to allow an online payment … after TWO 5km trips into town .

A Pipeline Runs Through It: The Story of Oil from Ancient Times to the First World War by Keith Fisher Allen Lane £35 pp768

Fisher, a journalist with a longstanding interest in petroleum, describes his huge book as “a personal inquiry into some of the defining features of the modern human condition”. He has performed a notable service by telling the tale so exhaustively. At its end, even those who plead for a balanced approach to imperial studies will struggle to find any justification beyond that of force majeure for the conduct and shameless greed of the great powers.

The history of oil, like that of every other desirable commodity on or under the earth, is an embarrassingly familiar one for western readers, chronicling institutionalised theft. No wonder the modern descendants of John D Rockefeller, Thomas Mellon and their kin do philanthropy. They have a deal of making up to do.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-pi ... -7x27tdcvc

EX

” The Dutch in Sumatra, part of modern Indonesia, surpassed all rivals in the savagery with which they persecuted local peoples in the interests of what became Royal Dutch Shell. In a 40-year war that began in 1896, some 12,500 colonial soldiers, 75,000-100,000 Acehnese and 25,000 “coolies’” perished.

One of the Dutch officers accused of atrocities was Lieutenant Hendrikus Colijn, who wrote home to his wife from one battlefield: “I saw a woman, with a child about half a year old in her left arm and a long lance in her right hand, charging towards us. One of our bullets killed both mother and child. From then on we could grant no more mercy. I had to gather together nine women and three children, who were begging for mercy, and they were all shot. It was unpleasant work, but there was no alternative.” Colijn later became head of Royal Dutch Shell and a prime minister of the Netherlands.”

———————————————————————-

” But …. we gave them railways and parliamentary democracy ”

have said a couple of the ‘historians’ so valued by parts of the BBC .

refitman wrote: ↑Sat 30 Jul, 2022 10:51 pm So, did someone at Labour leak Audrey White's personal information (that she'd been expelled from the party)?

A vocal Chris Williamson backer, it turns out - good riddance.

AnatolyKasparov wrote: ↑Sun 31 Jul, 2022 2:26 pm

refitman wrote: ↑Sat 30 Jul, 2022 10:51 pm So, did someone at Labour leak Audrey White's personal information (that she'd been expelled from the party)?

A vocal Chris Williamson backer, it turns out - good riddance.

Harpin was crowing about her being expelled* before she knew, so did someone leak the news to him, or was he just after being sued again?

*Expelled for doing an interview mind.

Looks like Labour are doing one of those purges the right of the party get so het up about - strange that it only seems to affect people on the left, eh?

The Guardian can keep fucking off too

Oh, and expelling someone from the party, for (rightly) embarrassing you in public, just makes you look petty and spiteful.

Lol

You know I don't approve of mass purges, but CW and his backers are beyond the pale. Even the intelligent pro-Corbyn people realise this.

AnatolyKasparov wrote: ↑Sun 31 Jul, 2022 3:33 pm You know I don't approve of mass purges, but CW and his backers are beyond the pale. Even the intelligent pro-Corbyn people realise this.

That's as maybe, but you know FULL well, that's not why she's been booted from the party. And it's just terrible fucking optics. I'd say up with that guy being chucked out the conference during the Blair years.

Yeah sure, Starmer isn't terribly good at optics. One thing he actually has in common with Corbyn, when you think about it.

Shame Starmer doesn't have Corbyn's integrity.

Congratulations to England's ladies. I thought Germany played the better football and were the more attractive side to watch but England won fair and square so no complaints...about the match.

The BBC commentary however was shocking. It was more biased than I've ever heard for a men's game. I got the impression an England player could have assaulted a German player with an iron bar and the German would still have been to blame. The co-commentator was the worst, she didn't seem to understand the rules of the game, despite apparently having played it. I mean I understand there's going to be an element of bias, but in the men's game they tend to reign it in a bit whereas this was full on jingoistic garbage. England were angels who could do no wrong while the foreigners were sneaky and dirty. I've a good mind to complain because it spoiled what was an otherwise enjoyable game of football.

@sky
I only saw normal time and Germany were the better side especially out wide. But, and it’s a big BUT, that isn’t what wins the trophy all the time. The commentary in Croatian was distinctly underpowered and I didn’t understand a word, but it did seem to me that the kicking was from both sides, not that that is the point you’re making! If we don’t want a side to win there’s always a little unhappiness with commentary from those who do. I admit to as much in the recent RU wins by Scotland over England. Still, with a glass of mistletoe brandy in hand I’ll drink to England’s second international cup. Hope you’ll join me cheers!

I thought both sides were pretty decent and it was a genuine bit of skill that gave England the lead.

Hard to argue that they weren't the best team over the whole tournament as well.

While out tramping around in the wilds of Northumberland this last week I was battling through some dense undergrowth where a path was supposed to be when I suddenly heard some very loud buzzing. Intrigued by the sound I stopped and looked around only to see a load of wasps flying up from a hole in the ground heading straight for me. The little bastards completely swarmed me and began stinging me through my clothes and my only route of escape was over a crotch high barbed wire fence covered in nettles. I'd like to say I vaulted it and got away with my dignity intact but that didn't happen. What actually occurred was I clumsily clambered over it trying not to rip my trousers or damage my balls while shrieking as I was repeatedly stung by wasps and nettles before running away. My dad and brother were there and neither of them were harassed by the wasps at all and found the whole thing highly amusing. The little shits stung me 10 times and while individually the stings weren't that bad, en masse they were bloody painful. I tried Germolene and some sting relief spray my dad had but neither helped at all. Only beer provided any relief. They still itch now.

I was stung by a bumblebee last year and as an individual sting it was way worse than a wasp sting, on a pain scale of 1 to 10 I'd put the bee at 7 and the wasp at maybe 4, but multiple wasp stings I'd have to give an 8, it was a pretty impressive level of agony.

What I did to offend them remains a mystery.

notnowsonny wrote: ↑Sun 31 Jul, 2022 8:36 pm @sky
I only saw normal time and Germany were the better side especially out wide. But, and it’s a big BUT, that isn’t what wins the trophy all the time. The commentary in Croatian was distinctly underpowered and I didn’t understand a word, but it did seem to me that the kicking was from both sides, not that that is the point you’re making! If we don’t want a side to win there’s always a little unhappiness with commentary from those who do. I admit to as much in the recent RU wins by Scotland over England. Still, with a glass of mistletoe brandy in hand I’ll drink to England’s second international cup. Hope you’ll join me cheers!

Even England supporters were texting me saying the commentary was an embarrassment so I think it's fair to say it was a bit over the top.

In all honesty I really have no problem with England's ladies' success, even though a friend and fellow Scotland supporter pointed out to me that having a different attitude to the women's game was sexist. However raising a glass is going a bit far.

Enjoy the victory and the brandy.

AnatolyKasparov wrote: ↑Sun 31 Jul, 2022 8:43 pm I thought both sides were pretty decent and it was a genuine bit of skill that gave England the lead.

Hard to argue that they weren't the best team over the whole tournament as well.

Yes as I said I had no problem with the game at all, Germany played the better football (at times) but England took their chances really well, especially that first one as you say. It was a great goal. I didn't see enough of the tournament overall to judge. I'm afraid to say my old dad won't watch ladies playing football because he says he can't take it seriously so I missed all the games over the last week.

Your lot will always have becoming World Champions in 1967, of course

How much would you pay for this view?

A building company/property developer has bought up land from a farmer a hundred metres or so from where this picture was taken, they're busily builing a road and flattening the land to build houses with an estimated asking price of £800,000. This in a town being taken over, like everywhere else like it, by second/holiday homes leaving the locals an ever dwindling number of places to live. If you walk along that seafront in Winter half the houses will be dark because there's nobody in them. Even the old public toilet has been converted into a tiny dwelling you can book on Airbnb (no shit). Something has to change because our coastal towns are having the life sucked out of them. Yeah fine, you might be able to book a holiday in them but you'll be holidaying in a decaying corpse.

You really excelled yourself there. That was brilliant.

That was great. Thanks.

Night night.