August Bank Holiday 2023 26th, 27th & 28th

Post by **refitman** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 8:44 am

Morning all.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 12:43 pm

Good morefternoon to all, nice that you have remembered it is a long weekend.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 6:13 pm

Oh look.

About time.

Nadine Dorries: Conservative MP attacks PM as she quits Commons

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66630308

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 6:20 pm

But can she *actually* resign whilst parliament is in recess? I think it is back for a bit after next week, though.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 7:46 pm

Post by **refitman** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 8:01 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote: ↑Sat 26 Aug, 2023 6:13 pm Oh look.

About time.

Nadine Dorries: Conservative MP attacks PM as she quits Commons

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66630308

Post by **refitman** » Sat 26 Aug, 2023 8:46 pm

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 7:47 am

Found it -- Efficiency savings !

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 8:02 am

A bit from Reeves-Watch --

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 9:05 am

I've come across a few of FB's tweets, as unpleasant as any of the trolls !

Another from UCL is Professor Irene Patterson who screeches "MASKS DONT WORK" in strict ignorance of the science .

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 10:10 am

We already knew that Starmer knows sfa about economics.

Tbf, the tories have built some major tax rises into the system by freezing personal allowances. We'd all like Labour to make tax more progressive but they wouldn't necessarily need to raise more money overall.

I'd like them to raise the higher rate but cancel the withdrawal of child benefit at the same time, the marginal tax rates of people falling into that category are outrageous. Tories really hate children, don't they.

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 11:20 am

gilsey wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 10:10 am We already knew that Starmer knows sfa about economics.

Tbf, the tories have built some major tax rises into the system by freezing personal allowances. We'd all like Labour to make tax more progressive but they wouldn't necessarily need to raise more money overall.

I'd like them to raise the higher rate but cancel the withdrawal of child benefit at the same time, the marginal tax rates of people falling into that category are outrageous. Tories really hate children, don't they.

Good points gilsey .

Starmer is too busy to settle down and get informed on a wide range of economic ideas -

Based on an original Open Democracy report, ( link in her blog)

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 11:23 am

One highlight of a truly remarkable career in politics -

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 12:34 pm

The word "plans", though - shouldn't we all know what that means in practice by now (ie not much)

Reeves isn't just lying, no - she *will* run a tight ship in government and not everyone will be happy with this.

But in power, Labour will have a lot more room to do stuff than it has maybe become fashionable to assume currently.

Even a government as hopeless as this one still has lots of power to set the agenda, aided of course by their cypher client "journalists".

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 1:18 pm

Got the Leeds Black Music festival next to me today. One massive sound system in the park and a few other ones on surrounding streets all competing with each other which is producing an insane cacophony. Oh and there's also a funfair which is also playing music and making random whooping and parping noises. It's quite the audio trip. Imagine being forced to listen to about 5 songs really loudly all at the same time with weird sound effects thrown in for good measure. Well that's my life today.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 2:43 pm

Sky'sGoneOut wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 1:18 pm Got the Leeds Black Music festival next to me today. One massive sound system in the park and a few other ones on surrounding streets all competing with each other which is producing an insane cacophony. Oh and there's also a funfair which is also playing music and making random whooping and parping noises. It's quite the audio trip. Imagine being forced to listen to about 5 songs really loudly all at the same time with weird sound effects thrown in for good measure. Well that's my life today.

Mine's quieter, although probably more annoying. I turned on my washing machine yesterday and it tripped all the electrics in the house. Luckily my neighbours have lent me theirs for a wash cycle, but mine is now sitting in the middle of my (small) kitchen, full of water, and I need to find an engineer to fix it.

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 4:40 pm

refitman wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 2:43 pm
Sky'sGoneOut wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 1:18 pm Got the Leeds Black Music festival next to me today. One massive sound system in the park and a few other ones on surrounding streets all competing with each other which is producing an insane cacophony. Oh and there's also a funfair which is also playing music and making random whooping and parping noises. It's quite the audio trip. Imagine being forced to listen to about 5 songs really loudly all at the same time with weird sound effects thrown in for good measure. Well that's my life today.
Mine's quieter, although probably more annoying. I turned on my washing machine yesterday and it tripped all the electrics in the house. Luckily my neighbours have lent me theirs for a wash cycle, but mine is now sitting in the middle of my (small) kitchen, full of water, and I need to find an engineer to fix it.

Some ideas
""washing machine stops mid cycle full of water""

first one - The most probable cause is a clogged pump filter. The pump filter should be cleaned every three months or when it's clogged. This filter is installed to catch foreign objects like buttons or coins, and to prevent these items from entering the drain hose.

Plenty more are available !

Post by **refitman** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 5:41 pm

It's not so much that it's stopped, more that if I plug it in, it trips all the electrics.

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 5:57 pm

refitman wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 5:41 pm It's not so much that it's stopped, more that if I plug it in, it trips all the electrics.

FUN ! https://www.sos-parts.com/washing-machi ... eaker.html

Post by **refitman** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 6:22 pm

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 6:54 pm

If you can't beat them join them.

Note my jerk chicken with rice and peas in the container nearby which I have placed at a distance waiting for the wasps that were harassing me to bugger off. One of them actually landed on the chicken and started chomping it.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 7:26 pm

refitman wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 2:43 pm Mine's quieter, although probably more annoying. I turned on my washing machine yesterday and it tripped all the electrics in the house. Luckily my neighbours have lent me theirs for a wash cycle, but mine is now sitting in the middle of my (small) kitchen, full of water, and I need to find an engineer to fix it.

That sucks. Something's obviously shorted if it trips the electrics straight away. Besides stating the bleedin obvious my washing machine knowledge is so scant I can offer nothing further. I don't even have a washing machine. Just my hands and a sink. Not even a mangle.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 7:45 pm

Yeah, I've contacted a local repair business. They've suggested either the heater or the motor. Looks like it'll be a couple of £100 to get it fixed, although that's a lot more appealing than a full new machine.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 7:46 pm

You must surely visit a launderette in that case, Sky?

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 8:28 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote: ↑Sun 27 Aug, 2023 7:46 pm You must surely visit a launderette in that case, Sky?

Nope. I wash everything by hand. Mind you, being an old goth all my clothes, towels, and sheets are black so they don't need to be spotless due to their inherent stain hiding abilities. As long as everything smells ok I'm happy.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 10:26 pm

Noise levels beginning to drop now. The main stage in the park finished at 8 so now there's only one insanely loud sound system up the road which seems to have achieved dominance over the rest. They set up speakers and compete to sell booze and food from their garden, completely illegaly of course. We even get a letter from the council explaining licencing laws asking us not to be naughty. Not that I saw any trading standards inspectors when I was out...or police for that matter.

Which is odd because during the Covid lockdowns we had an absurdly heavy police presence during this weekend for fear of impromptu gatherings with it being the traditional time for the West Indian carnival. Multiple police vans blocking off streets. I remember coming back from my friend's house slightly worse for wear and watching one of said vans screech to a halt and coppers jump out to harass some black teenage kids who I'd passed and were causing no trouble to anyone. As I stumbled on my way I couldn't fail to notice the white middle class garden party blatantly going on just yards down the road which our boys and girls in blue were completely ignoring. They arrested two 16 year old lads across the road from me that weekend for having music playing in the back yard. They both faced £10000 fines and I'm happy to report when it got to court the fines were overturned. The police never stopped me and asked me where I was going or where I'd been despite me staggering home late at night. Like the garden party revellers it I was as if I didn't exist. Because I was white.

I believe I mentioned it at the time. I've seen some racist shit from the police in my time, but that night was genuinely disturbing.

Post by **refitman** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 10:36 pm

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 11:18 pm

Anyway back to politics.

So Starmer and Reeves are ruling out any sort of tax on wealth of any kind.

While fiscal drag due to inflation and wage growth means ever more of the least well off will be dragged into paying income tax or pushed into higher tax bands.

I mean as you know I'm a 'centrist Liberal' but for fuck's sake I'm struggling to see how this is Left wing according to any definition whatsoever.

It's cowardice, and worse it will mean our public services will remain dysfunctional for years because Starmer and Reeves and those advising them are entirely without imagination or courage. I'm sure they see themselves as clever having defeated their left wing opponents in the Labour Party and now see winning the next election as a zero sum game to be played against Tory electoral strategists.

But in reality if Labour go into the next election refusing to raise taxes on wealth then nothing's going to change. It'll just feel like austerity stretched out forever until some magical growth occurs and we can all have a really small sweetie.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Sun 27 Aug, 2023 11:56 pm

As for Dorries. I can see why she's pissed off and has a grievance.

I mean after all she made an absolute fool of herself supporting a posh useless lying sack of shit public school slug.

A working class girl may be able to eat many Ostrich anuses for money but to be betrayed by those who she thought would raise her to the promised land is not to be forgiven.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if this has caused such psychological damage that she spends the rest of her life getting revenge. Like in a film.

Or she drowns in Chardonnay and parks her 4x4 in two parking spaces while yelling at anyone who complains "Don't you know who I am?"

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 2:33 am

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 10:24 am

Really interesting thread on infrastructure development, interesting to me anyway

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 11:49 am

What could possibly go wrong?

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 12:05 pm

gilsey wrote: ↑Mon 28 Aug, 2023 10:24 am Really interesting thread on infrastructure development, interesting to me anyway

gilsey -- loved this photo --

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 12:11 pm

See above -- WW2 runways had to be drained too ....

From 1939 to 1945, British engineers built the equivalent of 9,000 miles of road, in the form of new runways.

To put that figure in context, the UK today has 2,300 miles of motorway.
https://historicengland.org.uk/research ... sinEngland

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 12:28 pm

It also involved large amounts of previously "green" land being requisitioned by the state for military and production purposes.

Post by **refitman** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 3:12 pm

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 9:21 pm

refitman wrote: ↑Mon 28 Aug, 2023 3:12 pm

JD points out that existing 'regulators' are a useless shower of shit , so WHY add yet another Quango-body to the existing failures ?

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 9:22 pm

RoF -- always fun , and never too bloody long !

frog222 · Post by **frog222** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 10:41 pm

Footage early in this of Prigozhin predicting his own death --

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Mon 28 Aug, 2023 10:55 pm

frog222 wrote: ↑Mon 28 Aug, 2023 9:21 pm JD points out that existing 'regulators' are a useless shower of shit , so WHY add yet another Quango-body to the existing failures ?

Yes, but they aren't by any means intrinsically bad. The problem is this government using them as powerless fig leaves.