Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th August 2022

[refitman]

Morning all.

[refitman]

[AnatolyKasparov]

There's no good answer to that, and DFH (needless to say) didn't have one.

[frog222]

Up yesterday --



We'll never know what would have happened after a Labour victory in 2017 .

[frog222]

A bit of History while hiding from the heat indoors



35.5 /96 here, and I'm going nowhere fast !

Indoors now up to 27/80 ……….

[AnatolyKasparov]

Well, wasn't expecting that scoreline at HT - low as my expectations now are, they aren't *that* low.

Starting to think that relegation may be the only way out of this, as it may actually deal with the root cause.

[frog222]

[Sky'sGoneOut]

It's time to put up a load of stocks outside Old Trafford and hand out some of the fruit that's rotting in our fields.

Although it does appear they've come to enjoy humilation so it may not have the desired effect.

[AnatolyKasparov]

It's time to put up a load of stocks outside Old Trafford and hand out some of the fruit that's rotting in our fields.

Although it does appear they've come to enjoy humilation so it may not have the desired effect.

Just as nothing will change for the better in this country without a change of government (though needless to say, that is no guarantee on its own) there will be no real improvement at MUFC without a change of ownership. Astonishing how many (including some of our own fans!) still can't see this.

[frog222]

Career progression is wonderful to watch !

[Sky'sGoneOut]

there will be no real improvement at MUFC without a change of ownership. Astonishing how many (including some of our own fans!) still can't see this.

Every United supporter I know wants rid of the Glazers but we're entirely powerless. Although if this carries on much longer perhaps the mass protests and stadium boycotts that have been needed for years might actually happen.

Although I have to say it wasn't the Glazers' fault today when De Gea comically handed Brentford two goals on a plate. Yeah the owners are parasitic scum but it's laughably inept performances from experienced players that are our biggest worry right now.

[AnatolyKasparov]

But a football club that is badly run tends to see its players under-perform as well. You know the saying about how a fish decays.

You will also know about how the United suits have, in recent years, given plush new contracts to complete duffers because it is easier to do that than find some better replacement. Most of the players have now twigged they are getting easy money for old rope - hence the briefing against manager after manager to their pet hacks in the press (EtH was apparently working them hard in pre-season, the monster)

Quite literally almost, we need to burn everything down and start again.

[tinyclanger2]

When will there be good news?

[Willow904]

This is a good call. It's a nice and simple message that puts pressure on the government. Although it's right that most concern should be for those on the lowest incomes, it shouldn't be overlooked that a sudden doubling of energy costs will be difficult for many to absorb, businesses as well as individuals, and will have a significant knock on effect on the wider economy as vast sums of money are diverted away from other things to energy producers which don't need it.

[gilsey]

Morning tc. Some advice for you, more in the thread.

[AnatolyKasparov]

This is a good call. It's a nice and simple message that puts pressure on the government. Although it's right that most concern should be for those on the lowest incomes, it shouldn't be overlooked that a sudden doubling of energy costs will be difficult for many to absorb, businesses as well as individuals, and will have a significant knock on effect on the wider economy as vast sums of money are diverted away from other things to energy producers which don't need it.

Its possible tomorrow's announcement may contain other measures that help those already struggling because of the price increases up to now.

And the potentially devastating effect of the proposed increases on many businesses shouldn't be overlooked either.

Allowing "the market to work" (though of course its not really working) in this context could quite conceivably bring about total systemic failure.

[refitman]

He's such a muppet

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Millionaire jailed after refusing court order to demolish £10k man cave.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/0 ... -man-cave/

A millionaire accountant has been jailed for six weeks after refusing a court order to demolish his "man cave".

Graham Wildin, of Cinderford, had been in an eight-year long court battle with Forest of Dean District Council after he constructed a private leisure centre without planning consent.

The £10,000 home extension came complete with a cinema, squash court, classic car, casino, bar and bowling alley.

However, the local authority took out an injunction against the 69-year-old in 2018, with the court ordering him to demolish his private playground.

Mr Wildin refused to obey the order and was jailed this week, with a judge dismissing his claim that he had done most of the clearance work but could not afford to pay people to do the rest or physically do it himself.

Good, but how the hell did he manage to build all that for ten grand?

Here's another link with pictures.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/13/milliona ... -17177352/

[gilsey]

This is a good call. It's a nice and simple message that puts pressure on the government. Although it's right that most concern should be for those on the lowest incomes, it shouldn't be overlooked that a sudden doubling of energy costs will be difficult for many to absorb, businesses as well as individuals, and will have a significant knock on effect on the wider economy as vast sums of money are diverted away from other things to energy producers which don't need it.

Richard Murphy doesn't like it because it benefits rich people as well, but surely the answer to that isn't complicated means-testing - where to stop? - but a household/personal energy allowance at an affordable rate and then the likes of Sunak can pay full whack for the rest that they use in their mansions.

I realise there's plenty of complications in that too, but we already have a system for measuring energy use so it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Generally speaking, universal benefits are better than means testing - and this coming crisis is no exception.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Richard Murphy doesn't like it because it benefits rich people as well.

That doesn't bother me too much, I've no problem with universal benefits, my problem is (and I can't believe I'm saying this) surely it's unfair on the energy companies? If they're still having to pay full whack to the producers won't they have to be massively subsidised by the tax payer to stop them going bust? If this were a ploy to deliberately bankrupt them then nationalise their remains then fine but we all know Starmer doesn't like the N word so I very much doubt it.

Unless I'm missing something (always a possibility) it seems to me this would either leave every energy company a smoking ruin with no apparent plan for picking up the pieces, or it would require billions in subsidies which would be much better off going to the public.

I mean keeping the cap at its current rate sounds like a good idea, until you think about it for five seconds, it's not the companies we should be going for it's the producers. Maybe you could tax the producers to prop up the companies, I don't know, your getting into swallowing a spider to catch the fly territory and I'm sure commercial lawyers would be all over it.

There are no easy answers here and I hope this isn't the best Labour have got.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I just popped out to have a beer in the park next door and there are dragonflies hunting there, at least a mile from any open water, in the evening.

Absolute madness.

Up until now I'd seen one dragonfly in this area in nearly ten years, in the last hour I saw six (and no I didn't see the same one six times, they were different sizes).

Thinking about it dragonflies, like most insects, are ectotherms (or 'cold blooded') so an increase in heat for them is an increase in energy. Add to that the fact that warm air is less dense so they have less drag and suddenly it makes sense that they're ranging further abroad.

Oh well, maybe it will make up for the lack of butterflies.

[tinyclanger2]

Spent today hanging out with people I like (and haven't seen since BC); good advice Gilsey.

[tinyclanger2]

No swimming though.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I haven't been swimming for years, though I did take my shoes and socks off and rolled my trousers up to my knees when I was last on the North East Coast to check if the North Sea had warmed up at all.

As far as I could tell it had not.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I mean 25° C at 11 o'clock at night is literally not cool.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

[Willow904]

Generally speaking, universal benefits are better than means testing - and this coming crisis is no exception.

I prefer universal benefits personally. Means testing is bureaucratic, expensive and inefficient. If you tax people properly the better off will always be putting in way more than they take out anyway.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Yay I'm listening to domestic violence. Some idiot shouting and screaming about how he's the one who earns all the money with the occasional female yelp of pain. I'd say about 3 streets away.

I'm sorely tempted to intervene.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

It was obvious what house it was but nobody answered the door.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

There's nothing I can do.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Please remind me that I did indeed stupidly ring some fuckers doorbell.

[PorFavor]

Well done. It could have turned out badly for you. Was no-one else interested? Safety in numbers and all that.