Weekend 11th and 12th of May 2024

[frog222]

Morning !

[frog222]

Last hot day for at least a week so back to the launderette to empty machine .

Asked the favourite baker earlier how many different breads he baked, I suggested eighteen ?

" Facilement ! "

[frog222]

First laugh of the day was extremely early this morning --

" Reported that Macron is "ready to intervene" after France's birth rate hit its lowest in living memory.

As some have noted, if you take that literally that might leave him a bit tired "

[AnatolyKasparov]

In the interests of full disclosure, I have to admit I didn't come up with that one myself

[frog222]

This is not me, it's Baroness Kuenssberg --

Another senior figure tells me: "What you hear is that people think they are voting Labour because they don't want the Tories - rather than enthusiastically voting for us."

The party would love there to be more excitement about them. But some insiders want the focus to stay on the Conservatives, who are struggling, and a choice between the two big parties.

With that in mind, Labour was only too happy for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to claim that the local election results suggested the country was on course for a hung parliament. They were pleased for the public to be reminded that a Labour victory is not a foregone conclusion.

I liked the Hung Parliament bit .

[frog222]

[frog222]

27 in front of my cottage, perhaps warmer than Corfu ?

Yesterday the sharp-eyed daughter spotted a bumblebee nest in the lawn, now marked with a stick . She also transplanted some of last year's wildflower seedlings to the front of the house, and this morning I watched a bumble enjoying the flowers

[frog222]

29 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AnatolyKasparov]

Is it true that the LK article regurgitates the "Labour need a bigger swing than in 1997 for a single seat majority" nonsense?

[frog222]

Is it true that the LK article regurgitates the "Labour need a bigger swing than in 1997 for a single seat majority" nonsense?

All quite marginal stuff considering the current polls --

The next election will be fought on new constituency boundaries, redrawn to reflect population changes and to try to even out voter numbers in each area.

An analysis of these changes for BBC News, ITV News, Sky News and the Press Association suggests Labour needs a national swing of 12.7% to win with just a small majority.

That's considerably higher than the 10.2% achieved by Tony Blair in 1997 and higher even than the 12% achieved by Clement Attlee in 1945.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67361138

[AnatolyKasparov]

So that's a "yes" then.

Meanwhile in the real world. not just Labour but *Tory* strategists actually think Starmer can win a majority next time on a lead of "only" six points or so.

[frog222]

Cooling a bit, off for my third prowl in the sea in a row !

[Sky'sGoneOut]

The UK's Eurovision entry made me cringe so much I fear I may have done myself a mischief.

Ireland's was best by a mile so far.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Yesterday the sharp-eyed daughter spotted a bumblebee nest in the lawn, now marked with a stick . She also transplanted some of last year's wildflower seedlings to the front of the house, and this morning I watched a bumble enjoying the flowers

Good stuff. Not much in the way of bumblebee action here, mind you none of my bee attracting plants are flowering yet. The alarming lack of butterflies is freaking me out a bit though.

[frog222]

Must see about more flowering plants for bees, NNN

[RogerOThornhill]

Timing is everything...shouldn't Buckland be asked as to why he hasn't said anything about this before now?

[Sky'sGoneOut]

It has to be Ireland or failing that Armenia, anything else would be a travesty.

I'm off out to see if the Northern Lights are going to make another appearance.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

They have not, at least round here.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Quite rightly the UK's awful Eurovision entry is the only one to receive 0 points from the public vote. Good. The memory of it is still causing me psychological trauma.

The Irish were robbed.

[tinyclanger2]

Quite rightly the UK's awful Eurovision entry is the only one to receive 0 points from the public vote. Good. The memory of it is still causing me psychological trauma.

The Irish were robbed.

As were Croatia

[tinyclanger2]

Not to mention the NL. If I understand correctly, someone called the police because someone else looked cross.

[tinyclanger2]

In breaking news: I have discovered an out of date bag of Twiglets, which means the diet needs to go on hold.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Some people getting rather excited that Israel won the UK audience vote, but doesn't this really just show FPTP in all its glory?

If you wanted Israel, you vote Israel. If you didn't, there were maybe a dozen reasonably credible choices (and of course lots more in total)

[refitman]

Some people getting rather excited that Israel won the UK audience vote, but doesn't this really just show FPTP in all its glory?

If you wanted Israel, you vote Israel. If you didn't, there were maybe a dozen reasonably credible choices (and of course lots more in total)

[gilsey]

Hi refit, hope you're having a good holiday.


Plenty of reports on Xitter of people who wouldn't usually watch Eurovision voting for israel, it's not exactly a scientific survey.

I didn't watch much of it but confess to liking the winner.

[frog222]

I've seen wildly different figures on stolen children , but there's no doubt on the 'cultural genocide' that is in direct descent from Stalin ---

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Went wandering in Calderdale with my friend today and it was so hot we stopped off in a little village called Norwood Green for a drink.



Looks nice doesn't it? Guess how much it cost for a pint of bog standard pale ale?

£6.30.

I actually swore out loud when I saw the price before begrudgingly wafting my card at the machine.

My friend got a single G&T which also cost over six quid.

We won't be going back there again.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Plenty of reports on Xitter of people who wouldn't usually watch Eurovision voting for israel, it's not exactly a scientific survey.

Plenty of bullshit from idiots on the far right saying they voted for Israel 20 times or whatever, which given it was a phone poll would have meant they'd have to have spent good money to buy multiple sim cards and a burner phone to vote for someone who finished fifth or wherever they ended up. Faking phone numbers in this country is no easy task, trust me I've tried, and if I can't do it I doubt those cunts can.

There were clearly two political votes, one for Israel and one for Ukraine and Israel came out second best.

Nothing however should overshadow the shame of whoever encouraged a young lad to prance around in camp boxing gear in what looked like a rotating public toilet in a crude attempt to capture the gay vote from about 1983.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Some people getting rather excited that Israel won the UK audience vote, but doesn't this really just show FPTP in all its glory?

If you wanted Israel, you vote Israel. If you didn't, there were maybe a dozen reasonably credible choices (and of course lots more in total)

Agreed. And frankly who gives a fuck? They gamed one vote and didn't manage to win while failing on all the other ones that matter.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

RIP Steve Albini.