Tuesday 16th December 2025

[refitman]

Morning all.

[Frog222]

Not worth the paper it's written on --

US puts £31bn tech ‘prosperity deal’ with Britain on ice
Pledge to invest billions in UK paused, with Washington citing lack of progress on trade barriers across pond




https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ir-starmer

[refitman]

Not worth the paper it's written on --

US puts £31bn tech ‘prosperity deal’ with Britain on ice
Pledge to invest billions in UK paused, with Washington citing lack of progress on trade barriers across pond




https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ir-starmer

Considering the things that have paused the deal are food and tech regulations, it's good it's failing.

[Frog222]

Not worth the paper it's written on --
US puts £31bn tech ‘prosperity deal’ with Britain on ice
Pledge to invest billions in UK paused, with Washington citing lack of progress on trade barriers across pond

Considering the things that have paused the deal are food and tech regulations, it's good it's failing.

My point was that NO 'deal' with Trump is worth anything at all.

Firstly because the $31Bn was never his to invest , similarly to the EU's 'agreement' for EU companies to invest in the US . It's all Funny Money and promises, and of course Starmer fell for it and boasted about his 'success' ...

Secondly , as with those famous tariffs Trump is quite capable of stabbing anyone in the back, from one minute to the next .

[Frog222]

Very good on Russia's so-called 'root causes' of the War .

In the first few minutes !

[refitman]

Good article by Novara, on the Peggie court case and other challenges faced by trans people at the moment

[Frog222]

Good article by Novara, on the Peggie court case and other challenges faced by trans people at the moment

Good start, I'm looking forward to reading the rest tomorrow !

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I just watched this.

I Saw the TV Glow

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15574270/

I was actually looking for a decent folk horror to watch and this came recommended, which is baffling because even a dimwit like me eventually worked out I was watching a trans allegory/parable and nobody was going to be burned alive to creepy folk music. I went into it blind, no idea the director was trans, in fact I initially thought it might be about autism. It was far from being a traditional horror film, the horror came from watching someone refusing to admit who they really were, turning their back on the only person who understood and was trying to help them, while living a false life. Then there was their obsession with a pseudo Buffy TV show and questions about mixing its fantasy with their reality. All that was good, it was cryptic and weird enough that (until the end) it was never preachy.

Unfortunately however it was also infuriating because the young actors, undoubtedly as a result of being directed to do so, spent the whole film breaking up their sentences with at least 3 second pauses which made them sound like William Shatner on industrial strength diazepam.

"Do you..(123)..like girls?"
"I..(123)..don't know."
"What about..(123)..boys?"

It was like that the whole way through, appallingly stilted dialogue. So I'd have to say it was an intriguing effort ruined by poor direction. It's not often you accidentally stumble upon a trans horror film (a first for me) and while the story and concept were sound maybe next time have people talk like normal human beings.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Anyway I'd like to say it's good to be back to normal after the last couple of weeks. Sadly there is no QT this week but for those of you hankering after a bit of Fiona Bruce action they produced a behind the scenes puff piece.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... the-scenes

I admit I've only skimmed it as I had more important things to do like researching wasps. I had a queen buzzing around earlier. She sounded like a mini chainsaw. Eventually caught her in a jar and let her go out the window. They're supposed to sleep until Spring but apparently a facsimile of Spring can wake them prematurely. Like some dick disappearing for a week then coming back and turning the fire on. Cold/hot. Might be as simple as that. Who knows. I just threw the only insect we could ask out of the window.

[refitman]

Well, looks like I need to find a new web browser.