Thursday 25th September 2014

[rebeccariots2]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

[AngryAsWell]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

Yes I did, sort of devils advocate to get conversations going and clicks in.
But then, I'm not so sure, he has come out with some quite personal attacks recently, that I don't think the G would allow (?)

[rebeccariots2]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

Yes I did, sort of devils advocate to get conversations going and clicks in.
But then, I'm not so sure, he has come out with some quite personal attacks recently, that I don't think the G would allow (?)

Except they are allowing it ... that's partly what started me wondering if he/she was actually part of the infrastructure.

[AngryAsWell]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

Yes I did, sort of devils advocate to get conversations going and clicks in.
But then, I'm not so sure, he has come out with some quite personal attacks recently, that I don't think the G would allow (?)

Except they are allowing it ... that's partly what started me wondering if he/she was actually part of the infrastructure.

True, my thought was to get readers involved, but perhaps it's more a pointer to the direction they will take in 2015. Hope not.

[RogerOThornhill]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

Doubt it - my guess is City firm with lots of consultancy either now or in the future looking for outsourcing from NHS and public sector.

He was whining about NHS management and about how much of a closed shop it was and how it should be opened up to outside firms...he stopped short of saying "firms like mine" but you could see that's where it was heading.

I managed to get a nice dig at his habit of not providing links to his direct quotes esp. after yesterday where he even changed the bits from the HSJ live blog of Burnham's speech. Thoroughly dishonest. And he blamed the HSJ journalist for it!

[StephenDolan]

The gimp that just keeps giving.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danho ... -problems/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

" The resilience of the Tory vote – as evidenced in the European and local elections.... "

Edit:be warned, BTL is VERY nasty.

[letsskiptotheleft]

The gimp that just keeps giving.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danho ... -problems/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

" The resilience of the Tory vote – as evidenced in the European and local elections.... "

Edit:be warned, BTL is VERY nasty.

That could be equally applied to Labour, whose resilience is slightly higher than the Tories, he's a whore, selling his debateable wares to those who probably despise him.

[letsskiptotheleft]

There's a photo on this rolling blog, at 14.22 which should put the fear of God into everyone.

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

[rebeccariots2]

I missed this gem yesterday. Another idiot with warped and ridiculous theories about the environment, food and rural affairs in charge at Defra.

'New-fangled' desserts like Angel Delight are to blame for the decline of the English apple, claims Environment Secretary
Liz Truss warns the apple orchard is now a 'rare sight' in the countryside
Many factors to blame, including the decline of traditional fruit crumbles
EU rules encouraged farmers to tear up orchards in the 1970s and 1980s
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... etary.html

Quite apart from anything else Angel Delight has been around for decades - we used to get it at school.

[rebeccariots2]

Following on from the Hodges tweet I posted up earlier.

Does that mean he's going to show up at the UKIP conference with no clothes? It's meant to be the other way around surely ...

I heard a UKIP representative on Woman's Hour this morning (female rep) - she was left floundering when asked what their economic policies are ... the manifesto will have to be fully costed before they can decide apparently. That seemed to be the answer to pretty much every question.

[letsskiptotheleft]

I was 14 when Neil Kinnock became leader of the Labour Party, still remember it reasonably well, the character assassination of Michael Foot, a fundamentally decent man, and then Kinnock's appointment, and all the attacks that were then, unleashed on him, good read this, from a historical perspective and it re-enforces the view of Charles Clarke being an utter bell-end.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... ved-labour" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

Doubt it - my guess is City firm with lots of consultancy either now or in the future looking for outsourcing from NHS and public sector.

He was whining about NHS management and about how much of a closed shop it was and how it should be opened up to outside firms...he stopped short of saying "firms like mine" but you could see that's where it was heading.

I managed to get a nice dig at his habit of not providing links to his direct quotes esp. after yesterday where he even changed the bits from the HSJ live blog of Burnham's speech. Thoroughly dishonest. And he blamed the HSJ journalist for it!

What City firm or consultancy would allow him the time to sit making his unpleasant comments all day, bearing in mind he is running more than one ID and spends a fair bit of time reading his favourite sources to fuel his latest piece of bile? Those guys are cut throat, you are paid on results and need to be Productive (with that capital P) to survive.

RR2, I did wonder for a while if he was a Guardian plant but, as AAW said, the nature of his attacks has got so personal that I decided not; that isn't to say he doesn't have a link to the Graun, when Cummings and de Zoete were spamming the Education threads it was obvious that somebody was giving them advanced notice of what was going to be published and when. The clincher for me was Wreathgate when he posted his first comment, word perfect with the rest of Staines sycophants, pretty much the same time as Harry Cole et al were splashing it over Twitter.

I get why he doesn't like me. I've embarrassed him too often, and now phrase many of my posts so his reporting trick doesn't work anymore; it is quite satisfying that my final comment over there was one which sent him scurrying off. I'm not, on the whole, for banning anybody as long as they play (relatively) fair; but his entire schtick is to disrupt and to insult and, when challenged, to go "running to teacher" *to save his own face, and there is no way to deal with that apart from playing his game. And I choose not to do that any longer so, if the Guardian are prepared to continue tolerating him (arguably even encouraging him), then it is pointless trying to debate there.


* Yes, I did read that comment. Marvelled at the irony, and also about Mr Button Presser accusing others of having a thin skin.

[LadyCentauria]

On a less serious note, did anyone have the pleasure of reading the now abolished thread that, following the deletion of a spam post, started with a post from letsskip that said

Hey Tommy what's the Serbo Croat for "fuck off"?

Oh, I didn't see the rest of it. Was my Serbo Croat useful?

(I went out with a Serbian woman when I was at Uni so I picked up a couple of very useless phrases)

I rather enjoyed that thread Perhaps we could have an NSFW thread? Many years ago a late-lamented friend set up a forum on which any swear-words, on the open threads, were automatically replaced with words such as Fie!, Fiddlesticks, Naff Orf! and Odin's Beard!

[letsskiptotheleft]

On a less serious note, did anyone have the pleasure of reading the now abolished thread that, following the deletion of a spam post, started with a post from letsskip that said

Oh, I didn't see the rest of it. Was my Serbo Croat useful?

(I went out with a Serbian woman when I was at Uni so I picked up a couple of very useless phrases)

I rather enjoyed that thread Perhaps we could have an NSFW thread? Many years ago a late-lamented friend set up a forum on which any swear-words, on the open threads, were automatically replaced with words such as Fie!, Fiddlesticks, Naff Orf! and Odin's Beard!

Or if you're Tim Farron ''flipping heck''

[rebeccariots2]

Mike Hancock could face £150,000 costs bill from Portsmouth council
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/09/m ... h-council/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/D ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Devon crime commissioner holds public meeting in Exeter, one person turns up

Perhaps someone could bring this up in Douglas Carswell's by-election.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Thanks for the Tweet, Dan.

[rebeccariots2]

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/D ... story.html

Devon crime commissioner holds public meeting in Exeter, one person turns up

Perhaps someone could bring this up in Douglas Carswell's by-election.

I need the association between Carswell and this monumental show of public participation and enhanced accountability in Devon spelt out ... sorry for being dense, Tubby - or maybe you're too out there for me ... humble dullard that I am.

[AngryAsWell]

There's a photo on this rolling blog, at 14.22 which should put the fear of God into everyone.

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

(peeping out from behind settee ) it did....

[letsskiptotheleft]

Kelso always invokes images of a tranquil Scottish border town, I've never been there, what it has done to deserve Janet Street-Porter is beyond me, she's on QT later, think I give it a miss?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Disgrace at City Hall where Ken Livingstone and his Cycling Commissioner, Lee Jasper, have made big plans and are now trying to drop them without telling anyone.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... nd-delayed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With media attention firmly focussed on the 18-mile, east-west “Crossrail for bikes” and concerns that this ambitious scheme is being forced through too fast in order to make Boris Johnson look good before he formally steps down in 2016, two of the mayor’s other planned “cycle superhighways” have been dumped and others have been put back.

In a written answer to a question from Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson, the mayor has confirmed that plans for a superhighway 6 (CS6) from Penge to the City and a superhighway 12 from East Finchley/Muswell Hill to Angel (CS12) “are now deleted from the programme”.

Meanwhile, the latest Transport for London (TfL) operational and financial performance report shows that CS11, CS4 and an extension to the forthcoming CS5 are “scheduled to complete later than originally forecast”. The Greens add that they are puzzled about what’s going on with CS9, from Hounslow. The mayor’s answer to Darren Johnson refers him to an answer given to a different question asked in July, yet according to the GLA website this has yet to be provided. Presumably it’s out there somewhere.

It is now more than five years since the mayor unveiled the first two of the twelve superhighway routes he originally proposed, yet there are currently only four in operation and the famously inhospitable CS2 requires a £25m improvement. Why is it all taking so long?

The mayor’s part-time cycling adviser and long-time media ally Andrew Gilligan

Doubtless this will be brought up when the Ledg wants to be in the Cabinet.

[ohsocynical]

I missed this gem yesterday. Another idiot with warped and ridiculous theories about the environment, food and rural affairs in charge at Defra.

'New-fangled' desserts like Angel Delight are to blame for the decline of the English apple, claims Environment Secretary
Liz Truss warns the apple orchard is now a 'rare sight' in the countryside
Many factors to blame, including the decline of traditional fruit crumbles
EU rules encouraged farmers to tear up orchards in the 1970s and 1980s
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... etary.html

Quite apart from anything else Angel Delight has been around for decades - we used to get it at school.

It's probably what her kids get instead of fresh fruit, because mummy's too busy being Environment Secretary to cook them meals from scratch.

[rebeccariots2]

Disgrace at City Hall where Ken Livingstone and his Cycling Commissioner, Lee Jasper, have made big plans and are now trying to drop them without telling anyone.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... nd-delayed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eh?

[PorFavor]

Mike Hancock could face £150,000 costs bill from Portsmouth council
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/09/m ... h-council/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll be organising a whip-round for him. But I expect you'd already guessed that.

[ohsocynical]

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

My take on him? He's a misfit, obviously has problems, BTL is his only source of 'conversation'.
Gets a vicarious thrill from being a pain in the arse. It's all he has.

[rebeccariots2]

Mike Hancock could face £150,000 costs bill from Portsmouth council
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/09/m ... h-council/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll be organising a whip-round for him. But I expect you'd already guessed that.

You've already given him a donation PF - whether or not you wanted to - as a Portsmouth taxpayer.

You might have to do what Pembrokeshire taxpayers are having to do to get back the unlawful monies given to our Chief Exec ... mount a mass campaign and petition demanding they are paid back.

[ohsocynical]

On the internet you can re-invent yourself. And BTL gives twisted members of society their moment of fame without any comebacks.

[PorFavor]

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

My take on him? He's a misfit, obviously has problems, BTL is his only source of 'conversation'.
Gets a vicarious thrill from being a pain in the arse. It's all he has.

There's another poster over there who is called Rustyschwim2 (or something along those lines), which is a bit unfortunate because s\he is fine. Pity about the similarity in names. I always do a double-take when I see "Rusty" bandied about here with the accompanying (and understandable) disapproval.

[ohsocynical]

Disgrace at City Hall where Ken Livingstone and his Cycling Commissioner, Lee Jasper, have made big plans and are now trying to drop them without telling anyone.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... nd-delayed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eh?

OMG. Someone's cloned 'broken promises Dave' with a bottle of bleach and some padding, and Ken Livingstone has had a second coming.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Disgrace at City Hall where Ken Livingstone and his Cycling Commissioner, Lee Jasper, have made big plans and are now trying to drop them without telling anyone.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... nd-delayed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eh?

This sort of thing, incompetence, keeping quiet till forced to answer a question, and employing a useless crony is exactly what Johnson and Gilligan accused Livingstone of.
And say what you like about Jasper, he had at least worked in his area of responsibility.

[LadyCentauria]

Interesting article on the oxford PPE after mine and Tubby's comments yesterday.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/932 ... cs-of-ppe/

Just started reading this and the first line (If graduates from an architecture school designed buildings that were unfit for human habitation ...) got me! Some years ago, a large building was well out of the ground and heading skyward when one of the construction workers went, scratching his head, to the bosses. "Um, where are the loos going?" he asked. Frantic scanning of the plans and drawings revealed that none had been included! I think it was an office block but it might have been flats and it might have been bathrooms. As I said, it was a while ago, but it was a bit of a scandal and an, "and finally..." news item at the time. :rolf:

[ohsocynical]

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Has anyone ever wondered if Rusty might actually be in the Guardian's employ?

My take on him? He's a misfit, obviously has problems, BTL is his only source of 'conversation'.
Gets a vicarious thrill from being a pain in the arse. It's all he has.

There's another poster over there who is called Rustyschwim2 (or something along those lines), which is a bit unfortunate because s\he is fine. Pity about the similarity in names. I always do a double-take when I see "Rusty" bandied about here with the accompanying (and understandable) disapproval.

There's nothing to say Rusty doesn't have different persona. He/she might get an extra kick from running more than one character. Makes them feel in control.

There are some sick puppies posting who wouldn't dare speak the way they do in public that's for sure.
But that's what they are. Sick.
You're never going to get rid of them now they know where to spill their bile.

Honestly, the best way is to totally ignore them. Make your post. Answer the reasonable posters and cut the pests dead. They'd hate that most of all.

[rebeccariots2]

Digital radio sales fall to six-year low
Consecutive quarterly growth in digital’s share of listening comes to a halt despite cross-industry marketing campaign
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/s ... -sales-dab

Digital radio’s share of total radio listening, including DAB, mobile, online and digital TV, was 36.8% in the second quarter of this year – flat on the same quarter in 2013.

However, on a 12-monthly basis, the popularity of digital radio continued to grow, with almost half of UK adults (48.5%) claiming to own a DAB set.

(my bold)

Yes - they may own a DAB set ... that's not the point ... but does the bloody thing work? We own three DAB sets and not one of them gets any reception ... and never did, even when I was in London.

A spokeswoman for Digital Radio UK, the body responsible for promoting the technology, said: “The report shows encouraging progress on coverage, cars, sales of digital devices and station availability.

“Listeners can look forward to planned national and local coverage improvements by the broadcasters over the next couple of years, further progress on digital radio in cars and the planned new national commercial stations. With analogue listening at an all-time low, digital is the way forward for radio.”

I'm looking forward ... with a sense of dread.

[yahyah]

Digital radio sales fall to six-year low
Consecutive quarterly growth in digital’s share of listening comes to a halt despite cross-industry marketing campaign
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/s ... -sales-dab

Digital radio’s share of total radio listening, including DAB, mobile, online and digital TV, was 36.8% in the second quarter of this year – flat on the same quarter in 2013.

However, on a 12-monthly basis, the popularity of digital radio continued to grow, with almost half of UK adults (48.5%) claiming to own a DAB set.

(my bold)

Yes - they may own a DAB set ... that's not the point ... but does the bloody thing work? We own three DAB sets and not one of them gets any reception ... and never did, even when I was in London.

A spokeswoman for Digital Radio UK, the body responsible for promoting the technology, said: “The report shows encouraging progress on coverage, cars, sales of digital devices and station availability.

“Listeners can look forward to planned national and local coverage improvements by the broadcasters over the next couple of years, further progress on digital radio in cars and the planned new national commercial stations. With analogue listening at an all-time low, digital is the way forward for radio.”

I'm looking forward ... with a sense of dread.

Digital radio

We bought three DAB radios for various rooms when we lived in Cirencester as the BBC were pushing them like mad.

They've been boxed up since we moved here seven years ago as there is no signal.
A complete waste of money, and we have no faith that we'll ever be able to get a signal.

[PorFavor]

Goodnight, everyone.

[rebeccariots2]

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 12m
Exclusive: Ukip to promise scrapping tuition fees for science, maths, medical degrees. Paid for by higher fees for EU students.

Is that the same EU they want us out of...?

Eh? Head scratch. Another, eh?

[rebeccariots2]

Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF.

[refitman]

Goodnight, everyone.

Goodnight PF.

[ohsocynical]

Funnily enough I checked the price of digital radios on the computer today. I knocked mine off a shelf and did irreparable damage.
After reading your post, I checked with a site that tells you what coverage there is for your postcode, but it warns you might be in a blank spot due to various factors. I suppose you don't know that until you've brought one home and unpacked it!
It says we're are getting the signal here in Bracknell. I hope so. I plan on getting a no frills one from Curry's tomorrow. I have vouchers!

[ohsocynical]

Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF

[rebeccariots2]

Funnily enough I checked the price of digital radios on the computer today. I knocked mine off a shelf and did irreparable damage.
After reading your post, I checked with a site that tells you what coverage there is for your postcode, but it warns you might be in a blank spot due to various factors. I suppose you don't know that until you've brought one home and unpacked it!
It says we're are getting the signal here in Bracknell. I hope so. I plan on getting a no frills one from Curry's tomorrow. I have vouchers!

Here's hoping for you Ohso. You should be alright in Bracknell - with the emphasis on should.

I was told I should be able to get a DAB signal in my bustling urban hub in the East End - never did though.

And according to the website checkers for mobile signals we ought to be OK here ..... cue hysterical laughter at the insanity of that.

[mbc1955]

I've had a DAB for three years or so now, in sunny Stockport, and haven't experienced a moment of difficulty with it.

[RogerOThornhill]

Jim Pickard ‏@PickardJE 12m
Exclusive: Ukip to promise scrapping tuition fees for science, maths, medical degrees. Paid for by higher fees for EU students.

Is that the same EU they want us out of...?

Eh? Head scratch. Another, eh?

Wonder how far that "medical degree" extends since there are no fees for nursing or midwifery degrees right now.

I often wonder why the difference but I guess doctors have greater salary rewards at the end and prospect of private practice.

[Hobiejoe]

We've got a DAB radio at home - never worked despite being assured it would.

Then my missus got a new car with a DAB radio in it, and it works perfectly until we literally reach our garage, and then it drops the signal. Bugger.

And it's a Skoda if you're wondering. The eighties jokes are a long time ago now.

[ohsocynical]

Funnily enough I checked the price of digital radios on the computer today. I knocked mine off a shelf and did irreparable damage.
After reading your post, I checked with a site that tells you what coverage there is for your postcode, but it warns you might be in a blank spot due to various factors. I suppose you don't know that until you've brought one home and unpacked it!
It says we're are getting the signal here in Bracknell. I hope so. I plan on getting a no frills one from Curry's tomorrow. I have vouchers!

Here's hoping for you Ohso. You should be alright in Bracknell - with the emphasis on should.

I was told I should be able to get a DAB signal in my bustling urban hub in the East End - never did though.

And according to the website checkers for mobile signals we ought to be OK here ..... cue hysterical laughter at the insanity of that.

I was going to buy a digital one years ago. At that time I used to buy from a small electrical appliance shop where the staff knew what they were talking about. They said to wait. So I did. I waited, and waited, and waited, then gave up. It was only a couple of years ago that the signal finally reached Bracknell.
The mobile signal is better now. Until a couple of years ago, our house was in a dead spot but was fine at my sons house which is a less than minute away.

There is a big snag to buying from Curry's. I swear the assistants must be on Workfare, because they wander around the shop looking totally bewildered, and then scared to death if you collar them and start asking questions.

And yes. Because it's not their fault, I'm always gentle with them

[ohsocynical]

We've got a DAB radio at home - never worked despite being assured it would.

Then my missus got a new car with a DAB radio in it, and it works perfectly until we literally reach our garage, and then it drops the signal. Bugger.

And it's a Skoda if you're wondering. The eighties jokes are a long time ago now.

Funny that. My husband was admiring an 08 plate Skoda that was in front of us today. He rates Skodas. Nice little car he reckoned.

Confess I don't drive and most modern cars look the same to me. I liked the colour though

[rebeccariots2]

Blue Fox (Conservatives Against Fox Hunting - yes, they exist) - tweeting support for the anti cull activities. Just how degraded and reviled does a policy have to be before this coalition calls a halt? That question could apply to almost every policy they have introduced.

Blue Fox ‏@BlueFoxCAFH 6h
Join a badger patrol on : glosagainstbadgershooting@gmail.com somersetagainstthebadgercull@gmail.com #badgercull pic.twitter.com/3gUeQhG8f4

[rebeccariots2]

For those interested to know what it's like out there ...

Updates from the Cull Zone. Day 17.
Daytime checks were done in a number of areas - thanks to everyone who got... http://fb.me/3m0TjIMi2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hobiejoe]

We've got a DAB radio at home - never worked despite being assured it would.

Then my missus got a new car with a DAB radio in it, and it works perfectly until we literally reach our garage, and then it drops the signal. Bugger.

And it's a Skoda if you're wondering. The eighties jokes are a long time ago now.

Funny that. My husband was admiring an 08 plate Skoda that was in front of us today. He rates Skodas. Nice little car he reckoned.

Confess I don't drive and most modern cars look the same to me. I liked the colour though

They're VW/Audi mechanicals with a different skin and badge, and slightly less luxurious trim (and as I don't make a habit of stroking dashboards that's fine by me), and loads of room for camping gear and other toys in our Octavia estate. Thank goodness MrsHJ has a real job to pay for it. Which means she got to choose the colour

[frightful_oik]

DAB is fabulous round here but you can't get a phone signal for love nor money. Summat to do with the radar at the airport apparently.