Monday 29th December 2014

[PaulfromYorkshire]

@Roger

I've started some Twitter activity around the Rose Report (non release of)

[rebeccariots2]

If Youre Not Careful.jpg (70.41 KiB) Viewed 14783 times

Marcus Chown ‏@marcuschown 3h3 hours ago
"If you're not careful newspapers will have you hating people being oppressed & loving people oppressing" Malcolm X

[AngryAsWell]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ohsocynical]

I just hope Ed can sort out something. More severe prison sentences would be a start.

[ErnstRemarx]

Some days the old brain box refuses to come up with the right expression.

What I failed to spit out on my post above, was moral dilemma. I'm finding it very uncomfortable.

I got that OhSo - and I'm in the same place.

I absolutely DO NOT believe in violence, capital punishment, etc. and I absolutely DO believe that redemption is possible.

But - if certain people in power right now were in front of me, and I had a loaded gun, would I shoot? Yes, probably, such is my hatred for what some of them have done. If only to wound.

I don't think it's hyperbole to call some of these people evil. As Hannah Arendt said when speaking of Eichmann and others, that the people who committed atrocities were "terribly and terrifyingly normal".

Obviously, I do not equate what someone like IDS (for example) is doing with the Holocaust - but I've said before and I'll say again that the thinking and the propaganda behind a lot of what this government is doing is not that dissimilar to how the Nazis started - long before people realised what they were doing. I daresay some of those responsible didn't realise where they were headed themselves.

We are seeing the rise of corporatism, accompanied by divide-and-rule politics, all ably assisted by a compliant and in some cases corrupt media. We are seeing, across Europe, the inevitable response to austerity policies - more support for right wing ideology with the usual blaming and hatred that goes with it.

I'm a pretty easy-going person; I like to think I'm tolerant and open-minded. I can honestly say that until recently I have never really hated anyone - but seeing what's happening to many people in this country and elsewhere I really do hate those behind it all.

I've often blithely remarked the buggers ought to be hung drawn and quartered. But actually trying to work out how to nip their criminality in the bud given they're psychopaths who are by definition un-treatable, all I'm left with is locked up for life, which is never going to happen, or extermination which is by far the cleanest least expensive way of ridding ourselves of them.

And that's social cleansing.

I'd like to see them doing unpaid work in food banks. If that doesn't bring it home how dangerous their activities were, then nothing will.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Relax, landing gear will be checked out by the tower, the plane has options.

- land with no gear
- land with partial gear.

In these cases the only thing that gets dented is the aircraft. Looks good on camera though and means the crew have to seriously earn their cash.

[AngryAsWell]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"More than 20 ambulances are at the scene with more en-route, as well as other emergency services, it has been reported. There is a road block reading to shut a perimeter road at Gatwick. "

Thoughts are with the pilot.

[AngryAsWell]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Relax, landing gear will be checked out by the tower, the plane has options.

- land with no gear
- land with partial gear.

In these cases the only thing that gets dented is the aircraft. Looks good on camera though and means the crew have to seriously earn their cash.

Thanks - was hoping you were around for a bit of clarity and clear thinking.

[RogerOThornhill]

Marcus Chown
‏@marcuschown
When intellectuals at The Times & BBC legitimise a racist xenophobe you realise how Hitler got to power. Did Oxbridge teach them no history?

When one of my friends posted this story on facebook, it helpfully suggested a similar story...Time magazine's Man of the year 1938...one A.Hitler...

[TechnicalEphemera]

I got that OhSo - and I'm in the same place.

I absolutely DO NOT believe in violence, capital punishment, etc. and I absolutely DO believe that redemption is possible.

But - if certain people in power right now were in front of me, and I had a loaded gun, would I shoot? Yes, probably, such is my hatred for what some of them have done. If only to wound.

I don't think it's hyperbole to call some of these people evil. As Hannah Arendt said when speaking of Eichmann and others, that the people who committed atrocities were "terribly and terrifyingly normal".

Obviously, I do not equate what someone like IDS (for example) is doing with the Holocaust - but I've said before and I'll say again that the thinking and the propaganda behind a lot of what this government is doing is not that dissimilar to how the Nazis started - long before people realised what they were doing. I daresay some of those responsible didn't realise where they were headed themselves.

We are seeing the rise of corporatism, accompanied by divide-and-rule politics, all ably assisted by a compliant and in some cases corrupt media. We are seeing, across Europe, the inevitable response to austerity policies - more support for right wing ideology with the usual blaming and hatred that goes with it.

I'm a pretty easy-going person; I like to think I'm tolerant and open-minded. I can honestly say that until recently I have never really hated anyone - but seeing what's happening to many people in this country and elsewhere I really do hate those behind it all.

I've often blithely remarked the buggers ought to be hung drawn and quartered. But actually trying to work out how to nip their criminality in the bud given they're psychopaths who are by definition un-treatable, all I'm left with is locked up for life, which is never going to happen, or extermination which is by far the cleanest least expensive way of ridding ourselves of them.

And that's social cleansing.

I'd like to see them doing unpaid work in food banks. If that doesn't bring it home how dangerous their activities were, then nothing will.

I don't really believe in the death penalty, so I will settle with mandatory 20 year jail term (no parole), seizure of all assets joint or otherwise. Ten years community service for spouse and offspring (waived if they can be shown to have been unaware of the fraud or if they shop the perpetrator).

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Relax, landing gear will be checked out by the tower, the plane has options.

- land with no gear
- land with partial gear.

In these cases the only thing that gets dented is the aircraft. Looks good on camera though and means the crew have to seriously earn their cash.

Thanks - was hoping you were around for a bit of clarity and clear thinking.

I was also quietly reassured by the fact they were planning to land them back at Gatwick so hopefully they can at least get back home.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Apparently landing was successful.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

In other news, we have been blocked on Twitter by Julie Bailey

[AngryAsWell]

Plane has landed successfully

And thankfully it appears that the plane has landed safely.

In the last few moments the Virgin Atlantic plane has come to a stop on the tarmac at Gatwick.

We'll bring you pictures as soon as we can get them.

Phew! Thanks be for that

[TechnicalEphemera]

Relax, landing gear will be checked out by the tower, the plane has options.

- land with no gear
- land with partial gear.

In these cases the only thing that gets dented is the aircraft. Looks good on camera though and means the crew have to seriously earn their cash.

Thanks - was hoping you were around for a bit of clarity and clear thinking.

I was also quietly reassured by the fact they were planning to land them back at Gatwick so hopefully they can at least get back home.

They are going to be in the air for a long time going nowhere. Pretty uncomfortable flying round in circles, but if the picture is correct in the G website the landing shouldn't be too dramatic.

Curious to know what the failure is that manifests itself at takeoff.


Edited to add down with predictably no drama.

[TechnicalEphemera]

In other news, we have been blocked on Twitter by Julie Bailey

Well done. The Julie Bailey equivalent of sticking head in sand.

Presumably that means it will be harder to ask her questions, that she will ignore.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Thanks - was hoping you were around for a bit of clarity and clear thinking.

I was also quietly reassured by the fact they were planning to land them back at Gatwick so hopefully they can at least get back home.

They are going to be in the air for a long time going nowhere. Pretty uncomfortable flying round in circles, but if the picture is correct in the G website the landing shouldn't be too dramatic.

Curious to know what the failure is that manifests itself at takeoff.


Edited to add down with predictably no drama.

I'm certainly no expert, but presumably if the landing gear doesn't tuck away properly you know there's something wrong?

[PaulfromYorkshire]

In other news, we have been blocked on Twitter by Julie Bailey

Well done. The Julie Bailey equivalent of sticking head in sand.

Presumably that means it will be harder to ask her questions, that she will ignore.

Exactly!

[TechnicalEphemera]

I was also quietly reassured by the fact they were planning to land them back at Gatwick so hopefully they can at least get back home.

They are going to be in the air for a long time going nowhere. Pretty uncomfortable flying round in circles, but if the picture is correct in the G website the landing shouldn't be too dramatic.

Curious to know what the failure is that manifests itself at takeoff.


Edited to add down with predictably no drama.

I'm certainly no expert, but presumably if the landing gear doesn't tuck away properly you know there's something wrong?

If that is indeed what happened.

[ohsocynical]

Marcus Chown
‏@marcuschown
When intellectuals at The Times & BBC legitimise a racist xenophobe you realise how Hitler got to power. Did Oxbridge teach them no history?

The other day we watched Who Do You Think You Are, but the American edition. Can't remember the actresses name, but she had a German grandmother and grandfather. He'd been taken prisoner in France in WW2 and shipped to the US. After the war he went back to Germany, and married and he and his wife emigrated to the States during the fifties.

The actress had her grandmother's memoirs written after they came to live in the States.
She wrote poignantly about living in Germany after WW1 with the unemployment, hunger and poverty. Then Hitler came along. To get people back into work he poured money into things like road building and heavy industries and put everyone into a job. He got Germany up and working again.

It was shocking to hear a lower to middle class German explaining how getting back to work and earning a wage again changed their lives. The gratefulness shone through. I'd forgotten the hardship they suffered during the twenties and early thirties so it was quite understandable as we have many families who need the same doing for them. And it's doable. But somehow the line was crossed and it was creepy, because by the time she wrote the memoirs it was known just how evil Hitler was, but she didn't acknowledge it. You could feel the acceptance of what he did, even though it wasn't written down.

It could so easily happen here. Even I'm doing the blame game. I know bankers deserve it, but the drip, drip, drip of pointing to a scapegoat is insidious.

[ohsocynical]

I've often blithely remarked the buggers ought to be hung drawn and quartered. But actually trying to work out how to nip their criminality in the bud given they're psychopaths who are by definition un-treatable, all I'm left with is locked up for life, which is never going to happen, or extermination which is by far the cleanest least expensive way of ridding ourselves of them.

And that's social cleansing.

I'd like to see them doing unpaid work in food banks. If that doesn't bring it home how dangerous their activities were, then nothing will.

I don't really believe in the death penalty, so I will settle with mandatory 20 year jail term (no parole), seizure of all assets joint or otherwise. Ten years community service for s

That sounds a bit more like it. Not going to happen though. And knowing that no punishment even halfway suitable to the crime is going to be done makes for great frustration.

[ohsocynical]

In other news, we have been blocked on Twitter by Julie Bailey

Well done. The Julie Bailey equivalent of sticking head in sand.

Presumably that means it will be harder to ask her questions, that she will ignore.

Exactly!

Put the questions onto the Twittersphere. They'll probably raise more awareness than if directed just at her.

[ohsocynical]

Well done. The Julie Bailey equivalent of sticking head in sand.

Presumably that means it will be harder to ask her questions, that she will ignore.

Exactly!

Put the questions onto the Twittersphere. They'll probably raise more awareness than if directed just at her.

Edited to add the secret is in how you use those too few words to get your message across.

[ohsocynical]

Plane has landed successfully

And thankfully it appears that the plane has landed safely.

In the last few moments the Virgin Atlantic plane has come to a stop on the tarmac at Gatwick.

We'll bring you pictures as soon as we can get them.

Phew! Thanks be for that

Good! Hearing of the lost plane in Asia yesterday gave me the colley-wobbles. Has anyone else noticed plane disasters seem to come in threes? Or is it me?

[ohsocynical]

I got that OhSo - and I'm in the same place.

I absolutely DO NOT believe in violence, capital punishment, etc. and I absolutely DO believe that redemption is possible.

But - if certain people in power right now were in front of me, and I had a loaded gun, would I shoot? Yes, probably, such is my hatred for what some of them have done. If only to wound.

I don't think it's hyperbole to call some of these people evil. As Hannah Arendt said when speaking of Eichmann and others, that the people who committed atrocities were "terribly and terrifyingly normal".

Obviously, I do not equate what someone like IDS (for example) is doing with the Holocaust - but I've said before and I'll say again that the thinking and the propaganda behind a lot of what this government is doing is not that dissimilar to how the Nazis started - long before people realised what they were doing. I daresay some of those responsible didn't realise where they were headed themselves.

We are seeing the rise of corporatism, accompanied by divide-and-rule politics, all ably assisted by a compliant and in some cases corrupt media. We are seeing, across Europe, the inevitable response to austerity policies - more support for right wing ideology with the usual blaming and hatred that goes with it.

I'm a pretty easy-going person; I like to think I'm tolerant and open-minded. I can honestly say that until recently I have never really hated anyone - but seeing what's happening to many people in this country and elsewhere I really do hate those behind it all.

I've often blithely remarked the buggers ought to be hung drawn and quartered. But actually trying to work out how to nip their criminality in the bud given they're psychopaths who are by definition un-treatable, all I'm left with is locked up for life, which is never going to happen, or extermination which is by far the cleanest least expensive way of ridding ourselves of them.

And that's social cleansing.

I'd like to see them doing unpaid work in food banks. If that doesn't bring it home how dangerous their activities were, then nothing will.

But guys with their mind set won't be rehabilitated or gain anything from that. They'd probably start fiddling the system for personal gain more like.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Plane has landed successfully

And thankfully it appears that the plane has landed safely.

In the last few moments the Virgin Atlantic plane has come to a stop on the tarmac at Gatwick.

We'll bring you pictures as soon as we can get them.

Phew! Thanks be for that

Good! Hearing of the lost plane in Asia yesterday gave me the colley-wobbles. Has anyone else noticed plane disasters seem to come in threes? Or is it me?

You are suffering from media filter.

There are always plane disasters, but safety continues to improve. Perversely there also seems to be a series of accidents where pilots failed to fly perfectly healthy airliners.

The Malaysian disappearance was very unusual, but one of a very few pilot suicide murders (silk air, Egypt Air and a few others).

The Ukraine shoot down was mostly dumb bad luck for Malaysian, although BA had decided to avoid the area other reputable airlines like Lufthansa hadn't. The person responsible for that is whoever was in charge of Ukraine ATC as they negligently routed an aircraft into a war zone. Incidentally if Russia was indirectly responsible it makes the score 1-1. Ukraine accidentally shot down a Russian aircraft a few years ago ( you can also add KAL007 and the USS Vincennes shoot down of the Iranian Airbus - for which the crew got medals).

The Air Asia crash looks like they flew into coffin corner trying to out climb a storm, or they just got caught in it, either are pretty bad news.

But you can also add Asiana failing to land at SFO in clear weather into the mix. There are a number of other accidents kicking around that the media wasn't interested in.

[ErnstRemarx]

Virgin Atlantic VS43 emergency: Live updates as passenger plane circles Gatwick with 'landing gear problems'
Not looking to good, hope they get it down safely

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vi ... =TW_mirror" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Relax, landing gear will be checked out by the tower, the plane has options.

- land with no gear
- land with partial gear.

In these cases the only thing that gets dented is the aircraft. Looks good on camera though and means the crew have to seriously earn their cash.

Thanks - was hoping you were around for a bit of clarity and clear thinking.

TE's spot on there. Whilst airliners aren't designed for crash landings, per se, years of experience and thinking has ben built in to aircraft design, since it's ever so possible that one day, you'll need to put down, and the last thing you want is to discover that the plane's not been designed with such an eventuality in mind. AFAIK, the first thing that gets dropped off is engines, and I imagine that if they need to ditch fuel, they'll have done it and anyway tanks are self sealing. So what you end up with is an unpleasant and unscheduled return to terra firma but with none of the hazards of 50 years back present, in a vehicle driven by an expert (with any necessary advice) into a fairly well controlled situation where the emergency services are on full alert.

I think that's what you might call the best of a bad deal.

[seeingclearly]

Morning all. Another hatchet job on Miliband in the Torygraph, talking about his incoherent "rag-bag set of policies"; progress of a sort I guess, as at least they are finally shifting from the "Labour have no policies" rgetoric, which was sounding increasingly tired.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... et-it.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh I don't know, I thought this bit was quite an interesting observation:

Indeed, throughout Europe established parties of the left are in crisis or being out-flanked by radical insurgents and nationalists. In Sweden the Social Democrat-led coalition collapsed after just two months after its budget was voted down by the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats

It raises questions about the rise of the likes of Ukip. Is it a natural phenomenon or an active tactic of the right to split the left and prevent poor and working class people coming together and overthrowing the current neoliberal status quo?

It's got to be an active tactic, it's too consistently present and encouraged by the media, in too many disparate countries for it not to be. The rhetoric when you follow it in different places is identical, only the details of who to blame are different. I like to hope this is their last ditch dying attempt before younger, more optimistic nations and peoples get a grip on what the world needs and deserves. If I'm wrong were doomed, I tell you, doomed..... I'll admit that any humour I have is tinged with a lot of fear. Don't let the bastards get away with it.

I'm spending a lot of time these days trying to get people past the black and white, polarised divisive positions they don't seem to be even aware they are taking. Trying to get people to look for solutions instead of someone to hate. It's an uphill struggle, even with quite nice people.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Just had this from Grant Shapps.

Look what we've achieved together this year:

Our economy has grown faster than any other major advanced nation
There are more people in work than ever before
We've continued to reduce the deficit - down by a half since 2010
A million more children are in schools ranked 'good' or 'outstanding', getting a great start in life
We've delivered 2 million apprenticeships since 2010, helping young people learn a trade
Our Help to Buy scheme has helped tens of thousands of people buy their first home
Income tax has been cut for over 24 million hardworking people
Those who have worked hard all their lives are getting more security in retirement, with the State Pension increased

The first of these is clearly now a lie. The US is well ahead.

[RogerOThornhill]

Just had this from Grant Shapps.

Look what we've achieved together this year:

Our economy has grown faster than any other major advanced nation
There are more people in work than ever before
We've continued to reduce the deficit - down by a half since 2010
A million more children are in schools ranked 'good' or 'outstanding', getting a great start in life
We've delivered 2 million apprenticeships since 2010, helping young people learn a trade
Our Help to Buy scheme has helped tens of thousands of people buy their first home
Income tax has been cut for over 24 million hardworking people
Those who have worked hard all their lives are getting more security in retirement, with the State Pension increased

The first of these is clearly now a lie. The US is well ahead.

Notice that "deficit down by a half" as Fraser nelson pointed out "...as % GDP" whereas before it was "a third in cash terms"

[ErnstRemarx]

Ah, that flight was in an old Boeing 747. They haven't made those for donkey's years. Not the common sight they once were...

[seeingclearly]

Afternoon all. Damn cold here. Brass monkey weather.

I had an interesting interaction yesterday evening on Twitter. Offended one bloke and he blocked me.

It was a comment by him about one of the Asian countries executing crooked bankers.

I said brutal, but it might lead the rest to be more honest with that threat hanging over their heads.
Oh my goodness he was offended. Called me a heartless vicious lefty.
I replied that I didn't say that's what should be done, but it was an interesting what if. I'd be happy enough if they got jail time, but they don't even get that over here.
I pointed out it wasn't just a bunch of blokes overstepping the line. What about all the hardship, despair and even deaths their crookedness has caused?

I was awake for ages trying to think how to curb them.

If one crooked scheme is blocked they come up with another.

They don't fear the law. Have no sense of right or wrong, or conscience.

The threat of jail isn't doing it and should they be sentenced the amount of time they would serve is paltry.

Rehabilitation?

Appealing to their conscience?

I lay awake for ages and as I consider myself strongly anti death penalty was disturbed because the longer I thought about it the more shooting them appealed.

What do you do to curb them? Any ideas?

Remove the ability for them to have so much power, I.e. Regulate the heck out of them, and freeze their banks accounts. Then prosecute them one by one, systematically so they know there's no leeway to continue damaging people's lives the way they do. We don't let poor criminals off lightly, why should rich ones get away with it. As much as possible take holdings into public ownership but also create stringent conditions to prevent corruption.

[ohsocynical]

Afternoon all. Damn cold here. Brass monkey weather.

I had an interesting interaction yesterday evening on Twitter. Offended one bloke and he blocked me.

It was a comment by him about one of the Asian countries executing crooked bankers.

I said brutal, but it might lead the rest to be more honest with that threat hanging over their heads.
Oh my goodness he was offended. Called me a heartless vicious lefty.
I replied that I didn't say that's what should be done, but it was an interesting what if. I'd be happy enough if they got jail time, but they don't even get that over here.
I pointed out it wasn't just a bunch of blokes overstepping the line. What about all the hardship, despair and even deaths their crookedness has caused?

I was awake for ages trying to think how to curb them.

If one crooked scheme is blocked they come up with another.

They don't fear the law. Have no sense of right or wrong, or conscience.

The threat of jail isn't doing it and should they be sentenced the amount of time they would serve is paltry.

Rehabilitation?

Appealing to their conscience?

I lay awake for ages and as I consider myself strongly anti death penalty was disturbed because the longer I thought about it the more shooting them appealed.

What do you do to curb them? Any ideas?

Remove the ability for them to have so much power, I.e. Regulate the heck out of them, and freeze their banks accounts. Then prosecute them one by one, systematically so they know there's no leeway to continue damaging people's lives the way they do. We don't let poor criminals off lightly, why should rich ones get away with it. As much as possible take holdings into public ownership but also create stringent conditions to prevent corruption.

We need strong legislation and proper punishment with a sting when Ed gets in. I hope what he decides goes some way to alleviating the anger many feel.

[AngryAsWell]

Fraser Nelson
‏@FraserNelson Latest email from @grantshapps says deficit is “down by a half since 2010”. Flatly untrue. So how far can we trust the rest of his claims?

[ErnstRemarx]

On a completely unrelated note, MsRemarx and the Wee Bundle returned about 30 minutes back from a shopping trip into Bury (don't laugh - it's the 3rd most visited shopping location in Greater Manchester, apparently), laden down with goodies from the sales, finished of with a snack at a fabulous (and I suspect socialist run) eaterie called Automatic. If you ever visit Bury, put that place on your itinerary as where you'll be eating; you won't regret it in the least.

Anyway, both of them very happy with their purchases, and WB is now wearing her Minnie Mouse onesie, as pleased as punch with its purchase. No, I don't get it either, but then I'm not an 8 year old girl witha penchant for Frozen (and Big Bang Theory, to be fair to her). This evening sees the visit of some proper lefties, friends from the council (Unison officials) and fellow thinkers who we wanted to spend some quality time with, so to speak. We all go back a couple of years at least and between us steered the CLP (in my humble) through some choppy waters to the point where it was fully active again, and the council boasted a large number of Labour members from the north of the borough compared to the south.

All sadly now in the process of being thrown away by the muppets who now run the CLP. Despite me warning of it over 2 years ago, these pricks find themselves in the situation of potentially having insufficient candidates for the locals next year. Unbelievable that we'll probably have to put up paper candidates in a couple of wards, but extremely depressing that my ward will probably be one of them, and our idiot PPC has done bugger all to ameliorate the situation.

So, we thought we'd get together and chew the fat over a few beers/glasses of wine this evening. Back soon....

[ErnstRemarx]

Ah, that flight was in an old Boeing 747. They haven't made those for donkey's years. Not the common sight they once were...

Boeing is still building the 747, in the form of the 800 series. G-VROM, the aircraft involved in the Gatwick incident, was a 400 series aircraft built in 2001. These were somewhat modernised with longer wings and winglets, glass cockpit etc. It's not state of the art, but nor is it an antique. The fact the 747 has four main gear legs seemed to have worked out well in this case. In most cases if an airliner loses a gear leg it makes damage to the fuselage inevitable.

Thank you - I stand very much corrected. I thought Boeing had moved on with the Dreamliner (my brother in law did an extensive stay in Seattle working on it) and the 747 was never mentioned, leading me to assume that all that Boeing now did with the design was to flog spares to airlines still running them. Live and learn.

[Spacedone]

Fraser Nelson
‏@FraserNelson Latest email from @grantshapps says deficit is “down by a half since 2010”. Flatly untrue. So how far can we trust the rest of his claims?

I don't know... if you can't trust a man with three identities then who can you trust?

[yahyah]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

[Spacedone]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

Vladimir called. He said to stop trying to nick his schtick.

[rebeccariots2]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I hope he bloody froze his goolies off ....

I was actually hoping there hadn't been any pictures taken of this unpleasant sight this year.

[Willow904]

Morning all. Another hatchet job on Miliband in the Torygraph, talking about his incoherent "rag-bag set of policies"; progress of a sort I guess, as at least they are finally shifting from the "Labour have no policies" rgetoric, which was sounding increasingly tired.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... et-it.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh I don't know, I thought this bit was quite an interesting observation:

Indeed, throughout Europe established parties of the left are in crisis or being out-flanked by radical insurgents and nationalists. In Sweden the Social Democrat-led coalition collapsed after just two months after its budget was voted down by the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats

It raises questions about the rise of the likes of Ukip. Is it a natural phenomenon or an active tactic of the right to split the left and prevent poor and working class people coming together and overthrowing the current neoliberal status quo?

It's got to be an active tactic, it's too consistently present and encouraged by the media, in too many disparate countries for it not to be. The rhetoric when you follow it in different places is identical, only the details of who to blame are different. I like to hope this is their last ditch dying attempt before younger, more optimistic nations and peoples get a grip on what the world needs and deserves. If I'm wrong were doomed, I tell you, doomed..... I'll admit that any humour I have is tinged with a lot of fear. Don't let the bastards get away with it.

I'm spending a lot of time these days trying to get people past the black and white, polarised divisive positions they don't seem to be even aware they are taking. Trying to get people to look for solutions instead of someone to hate. It's an uphill struggle, even with quite nice people.

Michael Moore's "Stupid White Men" springs to mind. White, male and old, these geezers with their hands on the levers of power are only in it for the now, they don't care how much they stuff up the world or squander all the resources because soon they'll all be dead. Let's hope the next generation are more like Stacey Dooley and less like Otis Ferry.

[ohsocynical]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I hope he bloody froze his goolies off ....

I was actually hoping there hadn't been any pictures taken of this unpleasant sight this year.

Oh good God. He's not doing it again this year. Still one consolation. That wet suit is flattening his tits.

[yahyah]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I hope he bloody froze his goolies off ....

I was actually hoping there hadn't been any pictures taken of this unpleasant sight this year.

Oh good God. He's not doing it again this year. Still one consolation. That wet suit is flattening his tits.

He's got Clegg & Osborne in there ?

[ErnstRemarx]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I do sort of wonder who this is trying to appeal to.

The sort of young people who tend to do this in any numbers are also those less inclined to vote, and it's difficult to imagine them suddenly having a Damascene moment on seeing this - "Holy crap! I need to vote Tory - and fast!!".

[yahyah]

Looks like he smeared his face with his fingers to try and look more macho.

[rebeccariots2]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I do sort of wonder who this is trying to appeal to.

The sort of young people who tend to do this in any numbers are also those less inclined to vote, and it's difficult to imagine them suddenly having a Damascene moment on seeing this - "Holy crap! I need to vote Tory - and fast!!".

Ernst ... there's a bunch of braying women in headscarves (chilling out gear for huntin, shootin, fishin women) just up the stream from this shot waiting to throw paisley knickers at Cameron en masse (or should that be cami knickers?).

[Willow904]

Oh Lordy, Cameron's at it again.

I do sort of wonder who this is trying to appeal to.

The sort of young people who tend to do this in any numbers are also those less inclined to vote, and it's difficult to imagine them suddenly having a Damascene moment on seeing this - "Holy crap! I need to vote Tory - and fast!!".

That would be the sort of young people who were made to go cross-country running at school and absolutely hated it? Or the sort of young people who re-invented cross-country running as something cool and funky?

You know what I think? Forget charity "stunts" - he should just ask his mates to pay more tax, it would help a lot more people!

[ohsocynical]

On a completely unrelated note, MsRemarx and the Wee Bundle returned about 30 minutes back from a shopping trip into Bury (don't laugh - it's the 3rd most visited shopping location in Greater Manchester, apparently), laden down with goodies from the sales, finished of with a snack at a fabulous (and I suspect socialist run) eaterie called Automatic. If you ever visit Bury, put that place on your itinerary as where you'll be eating; you won't regret it in the least.

Anyway, both of them very happy with their purchases, and WB is now wearing her Minnie Mouse onesie, as pleased as punch with its purchase. No, I don't get it either, but then I'm not an 8 year old girl witha penchant for Frozen (and Big Bang Theory, to be fair to her). This evening sees the visit of some proper lefties, friends from the council (Unison officials) and fellow thinkers who we wanted to spend some quality time with, so to speak. We all go back a couple of years at least and between us steered the CLP (in my humble) through some choppy waters to the point where it was fully active again, and the council boasted a large number of Labour members from the north of the borough compared to the south.

All sadly now in the process of being thrown away by the muppets who now run the CLP. Despite me warning of it over 2 years ago, these pricks find themselves in the situation of potentially having insufficient candidates for the locals next year. Unbelievable that we'll probably have to put up paper candidates in a couple of wards, but extremely depressing that my ward will probably be one of them, and our idiot PPC has done bugger all to ameliorate the situation.

So, we thought we'd get together and chew the fat over a few beers/glasses of wine this evening. Back soon....

If you can even imagine a 70 year old in a onsie, my lot contemplated buying me one for Christmas last year, but thankfully remembered that oldies frequently need to pee in the wee small hours when the house is cold, so are in danger of dying from hypothermia as they struggle in and out of it.

[ohsocynical]

Looks like he smeared his face with his fingers to try and look more macho.

The Terminator

[ohsocynical]

Just had this from Grant Shapps.

Look what we've achieved together this year:

Our economy has grown faster than any other major advanced nation
There are more people in work than ever before
We've continued to reduce the deficit - down by a half since 2010
A million more children are in schools ranked 'good' or 'outstanding', getting a great start in life
We've delivered 2 million apprenticeships since 2010, helping young people learn a trade
Our Help to Buy scheme has helped tens of thousands of people buy their first home
Income tax has been cut for over 24 million hardworking people
Those who have worked hard all their lives are getting more security in retirement, with the State Pension increased

The first of these is clearly now a lie. The US is well ahead.

The first is sort of true, but meaningless, as is most of what comes out of Shapps' mouth. Because the British economy stagnated for so long, even compared with many Eurozone economies, its growth during parts of 2014 was faster. Imagine a group of cars. All but one are Ferraris that quickly accelerate away and hit their maximum speed within seconds. The last is an old banger that takes a couple of minutes to get up to top speed. But while those Ferraris are screaming along at top speed, the old banger is technically accelerating faster than they are. It doesn't mean anything.

My main joy in Twitter? Putting sarky comments under Shapp's posts. I live for the next one