Saturday, 20th & Sunday, 21st December 2104

[rebeccariots2]

LeadersLive_TubofLard.jpg (77.68 KiB) Viewed 12591 times

Is Cameron going to wimp out of the Leaders Live debates? Still no date for his turn.

If he doesn't confirm - they should find todays equivalent of a tub of lard - something young people will identify with - and do the interview with that.

[rebeccariots2]

ExaroNews @ExaroNews · 29m 29 minutes ago
Key officials at the Home Office stand accused tonight of seeking to undermine #CSAinquiry and Theresa May. http://www.exaronews.com/articles/5438/ ... child-sex-

[ohsocynical]

http://prospect.org/article/how-big-ban ... 1M.twitter

No doubt we shall be reading something like this in a few years time if the Coalition gets back in.

[Toby Latimer]

With hindsight it was probably not a good idea to send Nick round to the nursing home to cheer the old folks up

tumblr_lli22jan671qjjck0o1_500.jpg (56.25 KiB) Viewed 12796 times

[rebeccariots2]

With hindsight it was probably not a good idea to send Nick round to the nursing home to cheer the old folks up

tumblr_lli22jan671qjjck0o1_500.jpg

The only word for that is 'painful' - for all.

[AngryAsWell]

The readers’ editor on… why I can urge and recommend – but can’t really play the enforcer

The Guardian’s usage of anonymous sources and the term ‘illegal immigrant’ are just two of the issues I have tried to address this year
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... y-enforcer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

Summit to save jobs in oil industry announced by Aberdeen council
http://news.stv.tv/north/304335-aberdee ... -industry/
A summit which aims to bring together governments, trade unions and industry bodies to save jobs in Scotland's oil capital has been announced.

Jenny Laing, leader of Aberdeen City Council, has called on the Scottish and UK Governments to attend the summit on the North Sea oil industry which is struggling under plummeting oil prices.

Labour has pledged to send its leader Jim Murphy and has urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister David Cameron to attend...

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Scottish Government is continuing to do all that it can to support Scotland's oil and gas sector, including supporting innovation with a £10m investment in the Oil and Gas Innovation Council, through skills investment with Energy Skills Scotland and through company support provided by Scottish Enterprise and HIE which has seen international activity of Scottish supply chain companies grow to £10bn in 2012-13, an increase of 22% on the previous year.

"As we have long said, what the industry requires is a stable predictable fiscal regime, and that substantial tax incentives are needed to achieve the objective of maximising recovery.

"Unless the UK Government acts to bring in further measures, the likelihood is some fields will cease production early."

I think they've got a point in that bit. Didn't Osborne launch some sudden tax rise on North Sea Oil in one of his early budgets?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ah here we go. 2011 Budget.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... tax-budget" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pressure on George Osborne to rethink his North Sea tax reforms will increaseon Tuesday with a report from experts criticising the changes as the Commons begins to debate the details of the budget.

The country's leading accountancy experts say in the report, commissioned by the Treasury select committee, that the surprise increase in tax to 32% from 20% on offshore drilling profits introduced in the March budget will damage UK competitiveness.

[diGriz]

With hindsight it was probably not a good idea to send Nick round to the nursing home to cheer the old folks up

tumblr_lli22jan671qjjck0o1_500.jpg

We should have a lonely Clegg photo album.

[Toby Latimer]

With hindsight it was probably not a good idea to send Nick round to the nursing home to cheer the old folks up

The attachment tumblr_lli22jan671qjjck0o1_500.jpg is no longer available

We should have a lonely Clegg photo album.

This place, where the above came from has quite a few, well worth a peek http://nickclegglookingsad.tumblr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ScreenShot00145.jpg (216.87 KiB) Viewed 12768 times

[PorFavor]

With hindsight it was probably not a good idea to send Nick round to the nursing home to cheer the old folks up

tumblr_lli22jan671qjjck0o1_500.jpg

Ha! More "woe, woe, woe" than "ho, ho, ho" for one and all there, then.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Just broken the news to the Lib Dem PPC in Calder Valley that Ashcroft polling showed Clegg only slightly ahead in his seat. He'd tried to tell me it was Labour arrogance because they think they own Sheffield.

I then shocked him further by telling him it was Labour who were second.

[PorFavor]

Goodnight, everyone.

[rebeccariots2]

TB Free England _ News Update 20 Dec.jpg (159.34 KiB) Viewed 12737 times

TB Free England
Yesterday ·
Last news update for the year...

Not particularly good news if you support the culls.

For the other 90% of the population who don't support them, an early present for you
https://www.facebook.com/TbFreeEngland/ ... =1&theater

[ohsocynical]

Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF

[rebeccariots2]

[youtube]v4dHCEtyqgc[/youtube]

xMasManifesto
Manifesto - no word of a lie.

[rebeccariots2]

[youtube]opWppp682cA[/youtube]

Manifesto 05 The Charlatan
Manifesto - no word of a lie.

[Tubby Isaacs]

[Tizme1]

Good Evening all,

I thought I'd drop by and tell you about the latest market research at Tiz Towers. This morning I asked my daughter if she knew what 'the chinky' means. She looked at me blankly and told me she didn't have a clue. Later her b/f arrived and I asked him. Immediately he replied 'the Chinese take away'. Daughter then commented, "I've never heard you call it that" to which he replied, "no I never have called it that". So she asked "how did you know what it was then"? And he answered, "watching old episodes of 'Only Fools and Horses' so many times".

So there you go, to date, 25% of respondents were able to guess, 25% knew through old TV programmes, and 50% of respondents didn't have a clue.

[AngryAsWell]

14 Incredibly Important Hashtags You Should've Used This Year

Check out No7 #CameronMustGo

[Tizme1]

Oh forgot to say, the conversation with daughter and her b/f led to him commenting that he'd also heard the phrase 'paki shop' from OFAH. To which daughter responded "dad used to say that all the time". "Used to - doesn't he say it any more"? I asked. "Not to me and the boys" she said. "How comes"? says I. "cos for years now, if he asks us to go to the Paki shop, we say we don't know where he means. If he asks us to go to the shop by name, or asks us to go to the corner shop, we'll go, so now he doesn't call it the Paki shop - not in front of us at least". Smart little Tizletts.

[Tizme1]

Back again - after some help. Yet again. I'm really stuck for some ideas for small ish type presents for my youngest son. He is taking English as one of his A levels and in fact, wants to be an English teacher. So I thought I'd look at extra curriculum suggestions. But I already have almost everything on the list, and the children all have free access to my book shelves of which I have many as you might guess. So I'm wondering if you could make some suggestions. Particularly current or more recent writers - I have many of the so called 'classics'. Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

[AngryAsWell]

14 Incredibly Important Hashtags You Should've Used This Year

Check out No7 #CameronMustGo

If you scroll down to just passed number 14 you can vote for the most important one. On my computer the thing to click is out of alignment so need to be careful were you "tick"

[AngryAsWell]

Back again - after some help. Yet again. I'm really stuck for some ideas for small ish type presents for my youngest son. He is taking English as one of his A levels and in fact, wants to be an English teacher. So I thought I'd look at extra curriculum suggestions. But I already have almost everything on the list, and the children all have free access to my book shelves of which I have many as you might guess. So I'm wondering if you could make some suggestions. Particularly current or more recent writers - I have many of the so called 'classics'. Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

Are you looking for a text book or just a book? Have you got Harry's Last Stand for him to read?

[Tizme1]

Back again - after some help. Yet again. I'm really stuck for some ideas for small ish type presents for my youngest son. He is taking English as one of his A levels and in fact, wants to be an English teacher. So I thought I'd look at extra curriculum suggestions. But I already have almost everything on the list, and the children all have free access to my book shelves of which I have many as you might guess. So I'm wondering if you could make some suggestions. Particularly current or more recent writers - I have many of the so called 'classics'. Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

Are you looking for a text book or just a book? Have you got Harry's Last Stand for him to read?

Just a book. But frigging hell AAW - how the hell didn't I think of that? Especially as he is also studying History. That is an inspired suggestion and I'm ashamed of myself that I didn't think of it. Extra bonus - I can borrow it off him.

[AngryAsWell]

Back again - after some help. Yet again. I'm really stuck for some ideas for small ish type presents for my youngest son. He is taking English as one of his A levels and in fact, wants to be an English teacher. So I thought I'd look at extra curriculum suggestions. But I already have almost everything on the list, and the children all have free access to my book shelves of which I have many as you might guess. So I'm wondering if you could make some suggestions. Particularly current or more recent writers - I have many of the so called 'classics'. Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

Are you looking for a text book or just a book? Have you got Harry's Last Stand for him to read?

Just a book. But frigging hell AAW - how the hell didn't I think of that? Especially as he is also studying History. That is an inspired suggestion and I'm ashamed of myself that I didn't think of it. Extra bonus - I can borrow it off him.

Nice, glad to have helped

[Tizme1]

Are you looking for a text book or just a book? Have you got Harry's Last Stand for him to read?

Just a book. But frigging hell AAW - how the hell didn't I think of that? Especially as he is also studying History. That is an inspired suggestion and I'm ashamed of myself that I didn't think of it. Extra bonus - I can borrow it off him.

Nice, glad to have helped

Thank you - its a brilliant suggestion. I'll let you know what he thinks of it. The book that is - not the suggestion.

[adam]

That Jeremy Rhyming Slang tweet quoted above ...

Little things that annoy me very much #284 - the use of the word 'refute' (to prove a statement to be wrong or false) when you mean 'deny'.

[AngryAsWell]

Just a book. But frigging hell AAW - how the hell didn't I think of that? Especially as he is also studying History. That is an inspired suggestion and I'm ashamed of myself that I didn't think of it. Extra bonus - I can borrow it off him.

Nice, glad to have helped

Thank you - its a brilliant suggestion. I'll let you know what he thinks of it. The book that is - not the suggestion.

What! you not going to do a survey of the family before you buy it????

[adam]

Back again - after some help. Yet again. I'm really stuck for some ideas for small ish type presents for my youngest son. He is taking English as one of his A levels and in fact, wants to be an English teacher. So I thought I'd look at extra curriculum suggestions. But I already have almost everything on the list, and the children all have free access to my book shelves of which I have many as you might guess. So I'm wondering if you could make some suggestions. Particularly current or more recent writers - I have many of the so called 'classics'. Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

Learning to Teach English in a Secondary School still seems to be a 'standard' PGCE text book and is well organised, straightforward and interesting - I know he doesn't need to think about things in that kind of detail yet but he might find it interesting.

When I took a US Drama course as part of my undergraduate degree, the tutor said 'ignore criticism, just read every example of late 19th and early 20th century European drama you can' and I think that was very good advice - so any Checkoff, Ibsen, Strindberg, Beckett, Pirandello...

Recent fiction, I love Steven Hall's 'The Raw Shark Texts' and Stephen Sherrill's 'The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break'. If he grew up reading the 'Wolf Brother' books he might like her more adult book Dark Matter.

Edited for some tidying up.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Britain Elects @britainelects · 27m 27 minutes ago
Scottish Westminster Poll (Survation):
SNP - 48% (+2)
LAB - 24% (-)
CON - 16% (-1)
LDEM - 5% (-1)
UKIP - 4% (-1)

Britain Elects ‏@britainelects 3m3 minutes ago
According to the Daily Record, Survation's Westminster poll for Scotland would produce:
SNP - 54 MPs (+48)
LAB - 4 (-37)
LDEM - 1 (-10)

Meanwhile

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d97d49ce-877d ... z3MZtteuVk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scotland’s North Sea revenues would have slumped to one fifth of Holyrood’s preferred forecasts in its first year of independence if Scots had voted Yes in September, according to an Office for Budget Responsibility simulation using current oil prices.

The OBR projections, which take into account a dramatically lower oil price than the one used in Scottish government forecasts, highlight how the nation could have been saved from a crisis in its public finances by voting No in the referendum.

Had Scotland voted Yes to independence, it would now be looking at oil revenues of £1.25bn instead of £6.9bn in 2016-17 — its first year as a new country — while facing a deficit of close to 6 per cent of national income, compared with a UK forecast of 2.1 per cent.

Given that the SNP was attacking Danny Alexander for suggesting he might raise taxes the other day, I reckon that's some of those non-Westminster cuts coming your way, chaps.

[rebeccariots2]

Who needs special advisers? We all do
The main problem is that the job has become a conveyor belt to selection as an MP
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 37925.html

This is typical Rentoul piece - all droll and clever clever - while his main argument is pants. But - and it's quite a big but - I have learned some things from it:

... And it was Clegg, in effect a special adviser in Leon Brittan's cabinet (private office) as trade commissioner in Brussels, who promised that, if the Liberal Democrats were in government, "special advisers will not be paid for by the taxpayer". A Liberal Democrat policy paper, "A better politics for less", said in 2009: "These are political jobs, and should, therefore, be funded by political parties."

Unless, as it turned out, a political party that didn't have much money and that didn't expect to get into government got into government. So Cameron and Clegg signed the Coalition Agreement, which said, "We will put a limit on the number on special advisers" but didn't say what that limit would be, and didn't mention any of that pious nonsense about their being paid by political parties.

Then came the Ministerial Code, which said: "With the exception of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, cabinet ministers may each appoint up to two special advisers" – a 100 per cent increase in the adviserdom allowance from the heady days of opposition promises. ...

The best moment for us deriders, though, came in the middle of this parliament, when Sanctimony Clegg realised that the Lib Dem wing of the coalition was underpowered because it had too few political minds across government, and he appointed a surge of special advisers. Now he has 20 working for him alone, and another 18 working for other ministers. All paid for by the taxpayer – and rightly so.

The 'rightly so' is the pants bit. We really have been shafted if Clegg has that many people working for him - paid by us - and what have we got from it ....? And - cripes - Clegg worked his way up via Leon Brittan's office .... what a wonderful apprenticeship.

[rebeccariots2]

Be sure to look in on Ukip Santa ... full of festive cheer and message:

UkipSanta @UkipSanta · 7h 7 hours ago
Don't forget, if you're feeling a bit flatulent after your Christmas dinner, just blame Brussels.

UkipSanta @UkipSanta · 8h 8 hours ago
PARENTS. Make sure you manage your kids' expectations this Christmas because I will be restricting presents to the first two children only

UkipSanta @UkipSanta · 9h 9 hours ago
I've had to get a SatNav for the Sleigh this year due to the UK being a country I no longer recognise

[rebeccariots2]

FIVE Westminster paedophile rings are now being investigated by police
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fi ... ow-4851636
Claims that at least five paedophile rings operated in Westminster in the 1970s and 80s are being investigated by police.

Labour MP John Mann has handed evidence on 22 politicians including three serving MPs and three members of the House of Lords to police.

Mr Mann, whose list includes 13 former ministers, said: “There are at least five paedophile rings which involved MPs.