Sunday 13 October: British security is at stake in Israel’s fight against international terror

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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584 thoughts on “Sunday 13 October: British security is at stake in Israel’s fight against international terror”

  2. Thanks for today's NoTTLe site, Geoff. And a very good morning to all my NoTTLe chums.

    Wordle 1,212 4/6

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    1. Good morning Elsie
      Wordle 1,212 4/6

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    2. 'Morning. I'm on a Wordle roll these last 2 days.

      Wordle 1,212 2/6

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  3. Morning All
    Today's Tale
    George went into the bar for a drink one night after work and he noticed a man in the corner passed out over his beer. He went over to check him out. The man was drunk and incoherent. George decided to do his good deed for the day, checked the man’s wallet and found his address.

    George kept trying to help the man stand up, but he kept falling to the floor. Dragging and heaving, he finally carried the drunk outside and put him in his car. When George reached the drunk’s house, he pulled him out of the car and tried to help him to the front door, but the drunk kept collapsing in a heap.

    George sought help from a passer-by and knocked on the drunk’s door, which was answered by a pleasant- looking woman. George explained that he had brought her husband home.

    “Thank you,” she said, “but where’s his wheelchair?”

    2. Around ten years ago I was walking our dog through local woodland.
      And I saw and old chap with a plastic shopping bag and a folded news paper under his arm. I spoke to him and it seemed that he wasn't completely with it. Fortunately he had a copy of his address in a coat pocket.
      I managed to persuade him to walk with me and took him to his home about half a mile away. His wife said he'd been out for around three hours,
      on a 20 minute trip to the shops.
      I never saw him or his wife again.
      Quite sad really. It could happen to any of us.

  4. I set fire to my own trenches to stop Putin winning this war. 13 October 2024.

    In a rare interview with one of the Russians now working with the Ukrainian resistance, the conscript soldier told The Telegraph that he set fire to his unit’s trench on the left bank of the Dnipro River in July.

    The blaze spread to the neighbouring unit’s dugout and he watched as his fellow soldiers burned themselves in futile attempts to retrieve ammunition and weapons.

    “There was panic, thick smoke from the fire, and shelling from the Ukrainian side,” the conscript, who The Telegraph is not naming, said.
    “While they were trying to extinguish the fire and save the supplies of food and weapons, the fire spread to a larger area. Many soldiers suffered burns.”

    Obviously an enthusiastic Commando reader.

    The story about the Russian breakthrough in Kursk appears to have been suppressed. Things must be going drastically wrong for the Ukies. There’s talk of the police raiding nightclubs in Kiev looking for draftees.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/12/i-set-fire-to-my-own-trenches-to-stop-putin-winning-war/

    1. They should rather raid nightclubs in Berlin and London looking for draftees.

      I know of at least one Ukrainian young man who is working in western Europe and has no intention of getting killed for Zelensky. He is an ethnic Russian.

      1. According to friends in Thailand there are thousands of young Russians there, having been sent by their parents.

          3. We thought it was a smart move by the parents.

            The Thai Police keep a strict eye on them to stop things getting out of hand, but the young Russians don’t want to get deported.

        2. Oddly enough, I had a call today from someone in Thailand who confirmed that it is full of draft-dodging Russians.

      1. The only reparations that should be offered are a compulsory one-way ticket to their ancestral countries, where they can integrate and then hunt down the descendants of the Chieftains who originally sold their ancestors into slavery. Ask THEM for reparations.

  9. Good morning,

    Special plea today!

    Free Speech has a superbly well-researched article from a woman who suffers from the much misunderstood and often maligned ME disease. Alice Cavendish makes a convincing case that ME is not, as is so often alleged, psychosomatic, but instead a very real and debilitating viral-based disease that destroys lives. Sufferers however, get little or no support. It took Alice a lot of hard, difficult work and no little courage to write it, so please, do read it and leave a comment.

    She really will appreciate your support.

    freespeechbacklash.com

  11. Labour MPs urge Reeves to spend tens of billions more on ailing public services. 13 October 2023.

    In a huge gamble that comes after a rocky first 100 days in office and a Downing Street reset, the chancellor is closely examining an increase in employer national insurance contributions that could significantly fill a black hole in public spending.

    With Labour MPs desperate for the government to show that the new administration can make a tangible difference to the country before the next election, a group of about 70 supportive Labour MPs have now written to Reeves urging her to commit to a major rewriting of fiscal rules that would allow tens of billions to be poured into schools, hospitals, transport links and other crucial infrastructure.

    No amount of cash (as the NHS illustrates) can rehabilitate Public Institutions. They are corrupt and rotten to their core. They are actually beyond saving by any means whatsoever. The rest of us must simply wait for them to collapse entirely and then utilise what remains of independent help.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/13/labour-mps-urge-reeves-to-spend-tens-of-billions-more-on-ailing-public-services

        1. Most of them look like a bunch of fifth formers from the rougher end of town. And behave and speak accordingly. Good morning, BB2.

    2. Employers must pay more, so folk get laid off and businesses close, so the ENI take goes down and government costs go up, so …
      Idiots, all of them.
      Government spending is the problem, not the solution.

    3. Long-suffering tax-payers who create wealth urge the Chancellor to stop apaffing their hard-earned money away and warn the straw is about to break the camel’s back.

  13. 394605+ up ticks,

    Morning Each

    A complete SHITE statemen

    Sunday 13 October: British security is at stake in Israel’s fight against international terror

    Sunday 13 October: British security was intentionally put at stake the moment PM miranda opened the gates to the worlds criminality artists.

    The decent indigenous have been at war ever since, fighting not only the treacherous overseers but their dimwitted, misguided, own kind as we sank daily into the shite bog.

    1. Good morning ogga

      Yes, I agree completely. The propaganda to try and get the British people to support the long planned attack on Iran could not be more obvious.

    2. That's why the rich and famous Anthony Lynton built an 8ft high brick wall all around the Buckinghamshire property. And still gets free security.

  14. Good morning all.
    A chilly -½°C On the Yard Thermometer, bright with a thin overcast and not currently raining.

  15. And taking an empty milk bottle out to the crate, I see the sun is illuminating the tops of the trees over the road behind the pub.

  16. 'Morning one and all, especially, Geoff, and a big thank you to him for all his sterling efforts on our behalf.

    My ghast is absolutely flabbered, as I seem to have slept most of the night. I vaguely have memories of 01:10 and 04:32 but they must have been bilge pump stops.

    All your wishes seem to have come to fruition – thank you NoTTLers.

    I may go back later for more zeds!

      1. 394605+ up ticks,

        Morning T5,
        Will that still be the case when the peoples tanks are parked on parliament green I wonder.

    3. Subsidised lunches, does that include drinks ? No wonder they fall asleep in the afternoon. It must be nice and warm in there as well. Fur trimmed full length gowns. You name it……and what is it that they actually do that seems to be so important ?

    4. H'mmm. Northern Ireland origins.
      Mysteriously throws in her CS career for a few years pub keeping in IRA badlands.
      (Nee Naw …. Nee Naw …. Front door splinters …..)
      Nope: I think RachelA's second suggestion is wrong.

      1. There is a significant number of Scots and Irish Nationalists in important posts in the Civil Service and Government. Nothing to do with EU unity I suppose.

  20. 394605+ up ticks,

    May I repeat a late night post to maybe a bigger audience as I am truly curious.

    May one ask,

    Playing devils advocate in an imaginary scenario as in the first 100 days of Tommy Robinson as PM ?

    You want radical change then put Tommy Robinson in as leader of the reform party and in the heart of Parliament, NOT Belmarsh, guaranteed change, BIG TIME.

    1. Sorry, ogga, I agree with sosraboc. Tommy R has a lot of courage, but he couldn't lead the country. I'd like to see him as home secretary though, backed by a PM not scared of their own shadow. One of Tommy's greatest strengths is that despite media smears to the contrary, he is genuinely at home in modern Britain, he just doesn't want it to be taken over by islam.

      1. 394605+ up ticks,

        Morning BB2,
        Agreed with bells on, don't take me literally as in PM, but as one with a truly patriotic power shout .

        All other types have been tried numerous times, reshuffling non patriotic, proven treacherous political shite is a non answer.

        I do truly believe that " he does not want
        GB taken over by islam" as is the current MAIN concern of many decent folk.

      2. He has many characteristics in common with Churchill, his madcap, hothead youthful 'escapades' being just one of them. At the moment he lacks Churchill's gravitas, but that may come with age. The main difference is that which comes from the strata of life into which he was born, and all that goes with that. I think he was identified as a potential leader quite early on by the Establishment, who then attempted to demonise him, and then demolish him. Like Churchill, he bounces back and refuses to be ground down by opposing forces.

    2. He seems to have been out of the country for a while but is due back for a rally followed by a court appearance at the end of this month. I suspect the state will have him locked up to suppress any resistance to its policies.

      1. 394605+ up ticks,

        Morning KP,

        Probably what I am trying to get across is we should reverse the regular shite dealing procedures,
        as in jail the political jailers, and give freedom of voice to the politically jailed.

      1. +5C outside, so not too bad. Gotta get on the roof today, too, fix the bargeboards before snow comes and lays. Yesterdays snow has melted overnight, but it's not far away that the snow will be lying until April-May.

  23. Good morning everyone

    Pleasant morning 4c , but feels warmer .

    No 1 son running in the Weymouth 10 mile this morning .. he was up and about early to start at 9am .

    What do you think of this

    See you in 80,000 YEARS! Comet not seen since humans migrated to rest of the world from Africa is spotted above London in 'once in a lifetime' sighting
    By Robert Folker and Jon Brady and Xantha Leatham

    Published: 00:49, 13 October 2024 | Updated: 01:17, 13 October 2024

    e-mail
    15
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    View comments
    A comet that has not been visible from Earth since the era of the Neanderthals has been spotted above London in a 'once in a lifetime' sighting.

    Comet C/2023 A3 – also known as Tsuchinshan-Atlas – is believed to orbit the Sun once every 80,000 years, making its current trip through our solar system the first since humans began to move out of Africa.

    It has now been spotted over the London city skyline just after yesterday's sunset as it comes within 44 million miles of Earth.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13953755/Comet-spotted-London-lifetime-sighting.html

          1. lol

            just in time for the mini ice age?
            I'm still half way through the Valentina Zharkova video that someone linked a couple of months ago – it is very technical, but fits the available evidence far better than the CO2 scam.

            Remember the summer of 2003? Very hot and dry, and the climate woo-woo people were telling us that twenty years in the future, this would count as a cool summer!
            You can warm yourself on their prophecies as you huddle in a blanket in June, watching the cold, grey rain outside the window….

          3. …and they adjust the thermometers to make jolly well sure that they won't be disproved again!

        3. Maybe. Maybe not. We weren’t there. Was Africa the Garden of Eden? Did the sensible ones leave millions of years ago and the idiots are coming now? Why did some apes stay in the trees?

        1. But many geologists will assure you that global cooling leading to an ice age is a far greater danger than global warming!

          The erudite Professor Plimer is loathed by the climate change fanatics and the PTB who do all they can to discredit him. Of course the fact that he is discredited by the people who discredit him makes him all the more believable!

          1. There is always someone telling us about the changes in the climate Richard. It's a shame their predisessors didn't make more notes. We know that people have ice skated on the river Thames and flooding has always occurred. We just have to put up with all of that.
            I prefer opinions like the Prof's.
            But I would really like to know or understand what happened to all the water that carved out huge canyons, way above current level and all the deep valleys world wide.

          2. Warmer air holds more moisture
            A fundamental principle of climate science is that warmer air can hold more water vapor, which is known as the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship.

          4. But how did it manage to get so elevated compared to the valleys it use to flood ?
            Yes and like the ice floating in our polar frozen seas it could be melting.
            But here’s and experiment. Pour a large G & T ice a lemon let the ice float and sit and wait, as the ice melts. And it wont flood over the top of the glass.
            And the ‘They’ claim rising sea levels.

          5. Most of it is tectonics. The continents rise and fall. The rocks of Mount Everest were formed thousand of feet down in a lost ocean. Sea shells found at the top of vast mountains are the origin of Noah's Ark and the Flood. Skulls of dinosaurs gave rise to tales of dragons. If mankind doesn't have an answer to strange phenomena he just makes it up.
            It is still going on to this day – Politicians and Global Warming for one example.

          6. The rivers weren't necessarily huge. The canyons have been exposed to wind and plant erosion after being carved by the river.
            Also, the different landmass have moved around the globe and been subjected to rising and falling so not at the same level as when the strata were laid down.

          7. Aren't we heading into a sunspot minimum? I remember in the '70s the next big thing was the coming Ice Age – then they worked out they couldn't make any money out of that.

  25. Chinese citizens were putting their considerable saving weight into gold last year, but apparently the government is recommending silver now.
    Very clever strategy – during hard times, people will sell their precious metals, so the government is guaranteed a stock of gold and silver in the country. What a contrast with the west, where our financial establishment ridicules precious metals and those who save in them and will generally do anything to avoid us getting gold and silver in our hands.
    Of course, that could be because the Chinese government regards citizens' property as their own…but then again, so do our liars and thieves.
    Hyperbole and speculation + pinch of salt of course … https://thesilverindustry.substack.com/p/china-switches-strategy-from-stacking

    Another viewpoint on stacking silver for peace – not sure I agree with this, because the military industry will simply stop or restrict the bullion trade if they feel threatened by it https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9v91lLC-8U8

    1. Were the Chinese actually buying gold, BB2 – or just betting on the price increasing? I remember when Brown sold UK's stocks, what a dope.

        1. Do they have a hoard of it, BB? Gold’s quite heavy:-) I think Frisby was promoting it a few years ago, most people just buy into the hype. I was recommended to buy some years ago when I think it was around 1800, they said it would reach 7000, but I thought more like 2000. Currently at around 2700 I think? seems to be on the rise, as it does with various military outbreaks. Hmm. How high do you think it’ll go this time? 😀 I’m a betting woman, might have a spin!

          1. It’s not the price of gold rising, it’s the pound, dollar etc losing value. Gold is the ultimate standard of value.
            I don’t think the Americans have any option now except to inflate the value of their debt away.
            Watch a bunch of Alasdair MacLeod, Jim Rickards, Robert Kiyosaki, Mike Maloney, maneco64 videos first. NB the first and last of those are linked to bullion dealers.

          2. Thanks BB2…wish you were our IFA he’s useless imo. I wish I had more time to watch those guys, have made a note of their names:-) May I ask your opinion on DCs please? I’m very wary of them….

          3. Pension plans? Sorry, I am a rank amateur, just trying to make sense of investing over the end of a long economic cycle. 🙂
            I have a small pension plan – I’m paying in out of habit but have resigned myself to probably not getting much back. Too much in the financial system looks like going down with the dollar.
            Nobody really knows how this is going to play out, because nobody’s lived through it. My feeling is that they will try to prevent a Weimar situation, probably with a lot of controls/money rationing via CBDCs or something like that. Anything so that we will blame the Russians, the Iranians or anyone but the sociopaths who run the show

          4. 1920’s?…ach let’s have yet another (literally) bloody war and war bonds, that should do it. Think of all the luvverly profits going to be made on the back of rebuilding Ukraine – all part of Wolfowitz.

          5. War bonds – what a scam!
            My grandmother got caught by them, and told me when I was a child what a bad investment they had been.

          6. Yes, my grandfather too…old fashioned Liberal, as am I. His favourites (from memory) were CanPac 🚉🚄

  26. Morning all 🙂😊
    Ah that's much better lovely sunny start.
    looks like a melted frost.
    British security is at stake, I think seriously at risk is more appropriate.
    And Simply because of our thoughtless political idiots. How many people are going to be illegally landing today from countries where they will intensly dislike what Israel has done to defend itself.
    It's so obviously and shamefully true, that every single thing our political idiots have come into contact with they have eff it up.
    And now they are stealing our savings to cover the costs of all their stupid mistakes.

  27. If you're having a cold and miserable day, give a thought for the Uruguayan rugby team who crashed in their F-27 in the Andes 52 years ago. They were rescued weeks afterwards, and only survived because some walked out of the mountains for help, the remainder eating their dead comrades.
    There have been films made about this.
    https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/330359

    1. An excellent, thought-provoking film that demonstrates the strength of the human spirit.

      1. And it wasn't simply a voyeuristic film. When some of the passengers decided to go behind a mound where the dead bodies had been laid to cut them up in order to salvage the meat, the camera refrained from going behind the mound itself in order to watch them "at work".

  28. Good morning, all. Clear and chilly here.

    Very active flying here this early part of the morning: aircraft trails (condensation?) very evident – I do not have a the greatest camera but the long-lasting trails and the dispersing trails are clearly visible. A hazy day in prospect?

    South, earlier this morning. Darker criss-crossing trails just visible between the trees. Both defined and dispersing trails visible.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9e1ff2d2054f6ec48f77b4dd53acc3d931c262d80805590468b94193b380d253.jpg

    Later.
    North west.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9dd47774af72a159eefded716dd06db7e32d89d7628f66da317d4f1dd7c1b731.jpg

    South east. Behind my neighbour's palm a large dispersing trail is just visible .
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5c1b447c8742292e6827e81057ff0daf79cbf5c407c20339923996d4323f774f.jpg

    South west. Defined and dispersing trails.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/40c2186594e873c042619a64bb61a7cc66645236bd43261fe60e4d5cfd08e8cb.jpg

    Directly above – east to west dispersing trail.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8fe5590034d7296bb293f442cc3b5ec457ae2a44f08fa7e43ab3c1979abd66b9.jpg

    East.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b41f82a3aace8bbc8f9cafaf0985b3d6750e2896108a27d1835c04f513134c38.jpg

    Dispersing trails directly above.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/14e7c6f40bfe7cf8971669138125199e2c4ee43bf8c7f31db999ad6493831173.jpg

    2. Travelling around Europe, it was reasonably warm all summer and I didn't see any trails. However, in September, they were visible when the air was getting cooler.
      There are far too many of them, and all that vapour is blocking a certain % of sunlight, but I don't see a smoking gun about chemtrails? (NB we know that sky spraying is routinely done and has been for years to stop hailstorms – though that's more over the continent than Britain).

      The earth does seem to be getting a little bit cooler now, and if Valentina Zharkova (mathematician and astrophysicist) is correct, we are getting slightly further from the sun, which will put us into a mini ice age for some years. So this could account for more visible trails than we have previously seen.

      1. I’m not obsessed with vapour trails but I am concerned with what is happening here as they’re clearly NOT vapour trails.

        As for a cure? I don’t care a fig what you think I need.

        That’s me being polite.

    4. Try Flightrada24 you may be able to identify the planes creating the trails. The newly created ones at least

      1. How many can arrive in 6 ueats, at a rate of say 500 a day. Hang on. Ok, a million more. Illegals. All being housed at a cost of £125 a day. There’s your “black hole” right there.

  30. Good morning all,

    Light cloud overhead McPhee Towers, wind light and variable, chilly at 4℃ going to just 9℃ later, sunny periods expected.

    Just a reminder to all that tomorrrow the consultation for the Northern Ireland Public Health Bill closes so if you haven't yet responded you might like to think about doing so. Don't be fooled into thinking it won't come to England and Wales if it gets into NI legislation. It will. Much of it already exists in Scotland as the yet-to-be-repealed Coronvirus Act and there are attempts to bring it in elsewhere in the English speaking World. The legislation is all remarkably similar. This is the WHO treaty by the back door.

    Go to Doc Malik's substack for the explanantion. https://substack.com/home/post/p-149621307
    Links to the survey and the email address to send a response to are in the text. No need to watch the video unless you want to.

    I've amended the suggested response template to remove reference to Human Rights and replace it with Inalienable Rights and altered the wording in places to make it more individual. Here's my response FYI:

    I will not participate in the agree/disagree questions; I will not be ticking any boxes. I will comment only on the first question and I will send an email to back it up. It will read as follows:

    Whereas I am subject of His Majesty King Charles III and this bill is proposed for a part of his United Kingdom to which I may travel and notwithstanding that a similar bill is in force in Scotland it may be assumed that a similar bill will be proposed for England and Wales, I do not consent to this bill and reject your authority to assume my agreement to a fundamental shift in the relationship between the government and the people of Northern Ireland. This bill is unlawful. You ask questions unrelated to the bill's attempt to remove my inalienable rights. You must understand that I can neither give up, nor can any government remove, these inalienable rights. It is unclear what rights you would wish to remove in exchange for "protection." Furthermore, this bill promotes harmful actions without informed consent and introduces vague surveillance measures with no defined limits.

    This consultation lacks credibility—it was hard to find, received no media coverage, and was only sent to a select few. It fails to meet consultation principles, with a lengthy and intimidating document restricting informed responses. The potential impact on devolved healthcare and borders and key details like notifiable diseases or diagnostic methods are not clearly explained. There's no transparency on who might hold authority or if mandates will be grounded in genuine science.

    The bill proposes government overreach, violating inalienable rights and informed consent. It also undermines due process by altering magistrates' court procedures, breaching Article 6 rights and shifting the burden of proof. Such constitutional changes require a referendum. Take this as my response to all further consultation questions.

    It's up to you whether you do this or not. I suggest you might like to give it some thought but not for too long for tomorrow it closes.

    1. Note that only the very last question (43?) is about rights. (human rights, not inalienable rights). You have to wade through pages of BS asking whether the penalties are severe enough or whether you agree to the proposals in paragraph 63(a) section 1 (there is no link to find out what that means!!) before you get to it.

    1. I hope this evil nonsense will be seen for what it is, and laughed out of court.
      Milliband, of course, will be recruiting a new Gardening Police to fine people for growing onions.

        1. I have just planted some garlic! Would put onion sets in if I could find any. Will try garden centre.

          1. I got mine from a garden centre this year. Last year I got them from a supermarket (Home Bargains).

    2. The WEF is completely insane. And anyone who produces a reasoned rebuttal shouldn’t bother. What is needed is for the whole world to LAUGH at them. VERY LOUDLY.

    5. Home grown fruit and veg would naturally have lower emissions because there are no transport costs.

      I saw pineapples being sold for 59p. How can they possibly make a profit when they have to be transported half way around the world !

    1. I guess, they're out desperately seeking another Treasure Island to plunder, as they and their ilk, (the uni-party) have trashed ours. Either that or they're heading for Calais, to pick up some more illegals.

  33. Wouldn't that much lauded singer who performs half-naked on stage for Labour politicians appeal more to a traditional audience if she dressed more demurely and called herself Seamstress Swift?

    1. Meh, she's nothing but a parasite class invention to corrupt youth. The latest in a long line – Madonna, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga
      Starmer is merely paying homage to his masters

      1. I can't say much. I belong to a generation that swooned over Elvis, Marty Wilde, Paul McCartney and all the Stones.
        And thought the Jerry Lee Lewis saga rather exciting.

        1. My memory of the Jerry Lee Lewis saga is that we were all amazed, impressed but a little disapproving of the news that he had married a 13-year old girl. The scandal caused a British tour to be cancelled – poor planning, really; he should have started in Rochdale where 13-year old girls are fair game.

    2. I think she looks ridiculous prancing around in her skimpy costumes. My age must be showing.

      1. She's in her mid 30s – it's absurd to cavort like this in your early 20s but in your mid-thirties it is more than ridiculous.

    1. Well, as long as there's consistency. Presumably they've put on a lot of their other stuff too trigger warnings about content containing expressions of unbelievable wokery and bigotry?

    2. Better avoid the Chronicles of Barsetshire.
      Not only CoE but also contains pale, stale males.
      Just sooooooooo triggering.

    5. This has to be the department of Medieval Studies which has, in the name of eliminating "racism" is in the process of removing all references to the Anglo-Saxons in an effort to remove from history all reference to the English as a separate race. The department has been captured by avowed Marxists who have made it clear that they are on a programme of ethnic cleansing of all and anything that establishes the English as a valid race.
      A vocal critic of these people is Tom Rowsell, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon studies who insists that historically and through the evidence of DNA establishes the English as a distinct race as the native population of England.

      https://realitycheck.radio/replay/tom-rowsell-anglo-saxon-historian-and-political-commentator-the-true-history-of-the-peoples-of-the-british-isles/

      1. On my way to an overseas work trip, I bought a book at the airport – Britain AD by an archaeologist called Francis Prior. From the start, he was determined to prove that the Anglo-Saxon tribes arrived in very small numbers over hundreds of years and had little influence on our history and ethnicity.
        It struck me as an exercise in English self-loathing by relegating the English to just a bit part. Well, if they arrived in such small numbers, why did the Celtic speaking Britons so rapidly adopt Germanic languages and place names? We know that 20-30000 Normans invaded and yes, the language of court was Norman French; the language adopting many, French loan words, but the people stubbornly carried on with Old English.
        I binned the book before I had read about one quarter.

        1. There is a great deal of self loathing on part of the native population of England not helped by academics and politicians who have a malicious contempt for us. This is evil, whom does it serve to destroy , probably, the most creative and most enlightened civilization that has ever come into being and swap it for ideologies so obviously inferior.

          1. George Orwell noted this as long ago as 1941:

            “In intention, at any rate, the English intelligentsia are Europeanized. They take their cookery from Paris and their opinions from Moscow. In the general patriotism of the country they form a sort of island of dissident thought. England is perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality. In left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution, from horse racing to suet puddings. It is a strange fact, but it is unquestionably true that almost any English intellectual would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during ‘God save the King’ than of stealing from a poor box. All through the critical years many left-wingers were chipping away at English morale, trying to spread an outlook that was sometimes squashily pacifist, sometimes violently pro-Russian, but always anti-British. It is questionable how much effect this had, but it certainly had some. If the English people suffered for several years a real weakening of morale, so that the Fascist nations judged that they were ‘decadent’ and that it was safe to plunge into war, the intellectual sabotage from the Left was partly responsible. Both the New Statesman and the News Chronicle cried out against the Munich settlement, but even they had done something to make it possible. Ten years of systematic Blimp-baiting affected even the Blimps themselves and made it harder than it had been before to get intelligent young men to enter the armed forces. Given the stagnation of the Empire, the military middle class must have decayed in any case, but the spread of a shallow Leftism hastened the process.”

            Many of his other essays carry on in similar vein. To use a modern phrase, he was “anti-Woke”.

    6. There should be a trigger warning put on England because it has an established Church of which the Head is also the Head of State (i.e. The King).

      Those who are upset by this should go and live somewhere else.

  36. The eulogies for Alex salmond are fulsome today and I know one should adhere to 'de mortuis nihil nisi bonum' but there is one thing: –

    He wrote nearly one million Scots who live in England, Wales and NI out of the Independence Referendum while lowering the franchise to 16 year-olds and foreign migrants resident in Scotland. The migrant Polish community, for example, voted overwhelmingly 'Yes'. Just think of the ramifications had he won the referendum. Foreigners voting for the break-up of the UK.

    God may forgive him but I never would have.

    1. The king seems to think he was wonderful according to the papers. Obviously him and me ain't on the same page then. Someone doesn't suddenly become a good person and a great loss to the nation just because he went and died. Sorry an' all.

      1. I don't agree with Salmond's politics, and as Fiscal points out above, he was ready to cheat in pursuit of his goals, but I think the eulogies are because he was at least a conviction politician. I have no insider knowledge, but suspect that the court cases brought against him later were a cynical ploy by his rivals to keep him out of politics.

        1. Yes, I think you are right.
          So many politicians are belief-free zones. Mostly they seem to be motivated by greed and an active disdain for this country and its people.
          I suspect Salmond was an amusing rogue, but a deadly enemy.

          1. I suspect that Nikeliar is laughing her socks off! I detested Salmond for his vanity, smugness and overarching superiority! I don’t celebrate his death, but he’s no great loss.

        2. Salmond stuck resolutely to his principles and that alone earns him respect – many other politicians change their convictions according to the political advantage they think it will bring them. I agree with you that the court cases have the smell of “let’s get him, one way or the other”.

        3. He was a conviction politician, but then so was Adolph Hitler. All politicians to my mind ought to be conviction politicians, be they good or bad or they ain’t worth it frankly.

          To my mind also, BB, being a conviction politician is no virtue.

          1. I'd be interested in survey results of a poll which asked constituents to name the good/bad/indifferent aims/tasks/visbility their location elected rep has achieved for their betterment, James.

          3. I think you’re correct, James, what time we waste on this nonsense called democracy, although I shall doubtless continue to vote Reform even if only for their Conference..there’s another column :-)))

          5. Do you know, I very nearly wrote that myself. I think the jails are a bit full though, according to the standard cant we hear coming down from up in the heavens.

          7. I never say that although I do agree with you totally. Last time I said it the missus just remarked that fools seldom differ.

          9. I don’t think the Hitler comparison is reasonable. Are you going to use that to reject anyone who believes in anything?

            I heard that argument against conviction politicians in the late 80s in the conservative party. Perhaps it was that that gave rise to the free-from-principles, WEF generation personified by all those professional politicos like Johnson, Gove, Hunt et al.

          10. I don’t think it’s fair to compare Alex Salmond to Hitler, for many reasons. I think it is fair to compare Salmond, Thatcher, Cromwell, Paisley Snr, Powell, Miliband and so on as having strong convictions upon which they act, and who are plainly led by those convictions. I think I was making the opposite point than the one you seem to think I made; not that they ought to be rejected but ought on the contrary to be accepted for what they are, as in: “All politicians to my mind ought to be conviction politicians…” The ones I clearly reject are those without convictions. I do not think any politician to be worth much if they lack convictions. They stand in much the same position for me as those clergy who lack convictions who ought very much to stay out of religion altogether.

            The argument against conviction politicians has been made, of course it has, but it was never one I signed up to. As to whether or not the WEF ‘generates’ politicians without convictions, such as Johnson, Starmer, et al, I sincerely doubt; however, the WEF’s position does seem to align with those types’ mindset, does it not.

          11. Re the WEF, I have heard that likely young future ‘leaders’ get invited to Davos, and if they accept, they’re sounded out brought on board. I know someone who got invited but didn’t go. Eton alone doesn’t get you that far in the modern establishment.

          12. I don’t doubt, but isn’t that the same with all societies and so on? I was invited to join the Masons once; they never asked again. Spiked has an article just published on the Western media and its identikit journos and I don’t doubt they get a platform due to saying all the right things. It’s ever thus. If you want power you conform.

          13. Yes, but it's not healthy to have the entire group running the country in thrall to a foreign power. We had a Reformation about that once before.

          2. Comes under the heading 'never speak ill of the (newly deceased) dead', Ndovu…knives likely out soon enough. A useful if temporary diversion away from the missing £600k.

      2. I temporarily stopped calling the King the Idiot King but he adamantly refuses to stop being an idiot.

        1. No, you’re right. It’s been obvious ever since he hit his twenties and we started hearing in some depth what he thought. The superstitious might observe that naming a king “Charles” never seems to work out very well.

          1. Liz & Phil’s genes certainly seem to have skipped a generation, James. Laurens van der’s influence I reckon. Wonder what made him come up with ‘cherry brandy’ when he strolled into the pub. A whole piece there for you to write up :-))

          4. When he chose that regnal name I pointed out that Charles I lost his head because he opposed his people and subscribed to the Divine Right of Kings, Charles II sold the country out to the French by the Treaty of Dover, which he kept secret. Charles III isn't pro-the rest of us, either.

          5. That’s it, just the sort of thing a Charles as monarch does. What’s in a name, as they say.

            Worryingly, they do seem to appear at the most momentous times in our history. Or maybe all times are a bit momentous, I can’t decide. Either way I never really had high hopes for this one. Hey ho.

    2. Very interesting. The response will probably be 1000 papers commissioned with the sole aim of "proving" that the protocol does nothing, plus withdrawing ivermectin and fenbendazol from circulation.

      1. Vets – prescribed for animals with worms. Also now for viruses (some thinking cancer is caused by a virus). Perhaps we're an ageing species, on our collective way out.

          1. There are loads of places, Ndovu. If you asked the question on Twitter I’m sure you’d get a lot of replies from various sellers, I think they have tagged the word ‘Ivermectin’. There is very often a chat box at the bottom left of the screen on the home web page where you can ask about any queries you may have. Ivermectin does seem to have a very very long shelf life so it is worth getting some in for future use. It seems to be useful for all sorts of ailments – perhaps the cause of many of our health problems are parasites. There are now studies underway to show its possible value in replacing the bifidobacterium destroyed in the gut by the covid ‘vaccine’. Not for nothing did the discoverer get the Nobel prize for medicine.

  38. Morning all,

    We ciuld clear up the security issue of Taylor Swift's motor escort by appointing her to a ministerial position.
    With the level of ministerial support she gets I wouldn't be suprised to see her chosen as the next PM.

      2. She’d be the minister for Swift solutions and writing catchy songs about breaking up Government policies that wouldn’t work.

        They would of course be Taylor made for all parties that had been held in number 10 and she may well create an entrance from within a large celebratory cake.

    1. Smuggling never stops until the draw from the targeted countries stops. In times of yore, ingenious methods were used to facilitate smuggling. Only when tax on smuggled goods was dropped or reduced were the smugglers put out of business. So what is the draw in the UK? Welfare. It has to be reduced and curtailed drastically. And citizenship should be prized and harder to get for illegals. They must not be allowed to roam free and melt into the black economy with amnesties given after a few years here. They must not be given special treatment by our overseas obsessed MPs who are meant to represent the best interests of their own citizens.

      1. Definitely benefits one angle, jellybee. Notice a number of pieces both on and off-line explaining the reason is the perceived risk of future population decline. Hmm….not sure that's going to wash…

        1. Population decline? It takes two (I'm assured it takes one of each sex) to tango: ergo, where are the women?

          1. Lesbos, Korky (some of ’em anyway, others – contraceptive pill, preferring to slog away at a different employment than caring for their offspring)…what d’you reckon?

          2. The population decline story is pure, unadulterated bullshit, is what I think. As is the GDP nonsense.

          3. Well yes, that’s certainly a pov, Korky. A lot of it about. I seem to recall Blair promoting Journalism as a degree course? Could be wrong, but the world, his wife, their dog all have an opinion, on everything it seems, and all published.

        2. Yes, the risk of population decline is an outright lie. In 1900 there were only 32 million in the UK. Just what is the limit supposed to be? And absolutely no point importing millions who need welfare support for their whole lives. A huge lie. They’re just trying to justify their lunacy.

          1. ‘Lies, damned lies, and statistics’ Bernard Levin (h/t Mark Twain). Old but as true as ever. Or if you prefer ‘who do you think you are kidding, Mr Soros’…

      2. 394605+ up ticks,

        Morning JB,

        ALL very true many have
        maintained that welfare as is, should be STOPPED totally, NO pay in, NO take out.
        The political overseers really are taking the urine daily considering a fully paid up, via toil, indigenous person, and a morally wrong illegal invader being on the same level of entitlement.

      3. Welfare is a draw and was of course designed as such by the politicos; currently the latter maintain the levels of welfare at an attractive level as a cover for the importation of the fighting age men we see nearly every day arriving at Dover. Does the UK really need tens of thousands of unaccompanied and idle young men dispersed around the Country at a reported cost of around £8Million per day? What sense that does that make?

      1. 394605+ up ticks,

        Afternoon SE,

        Precisely, the lab/lib/con coalition party , supporters / voters have been supporting, condoning this
        cheap labour/ indigenous replacement campaign from the outset.

        If it were otherwise it would have been stopped after the first boat landed.

      1. It's funny but every year government needs more money. There is never a point where government controls spending and waste and robs us of less money, is there?

    2. Also, you and i are not allowed to claim such amounts as an expense. So why should MPs be allowed to? If they argue that it’s too complicated for them, they have the remedy.

  52. 'Morning All
    I eagerly await a politician with principle to announce "I've been gifted some very expensive Taylor Swift tickets I've decided it's inappropriate to go myself so I've decided to raffle them off to benefit a Childrens Hospice"
    Best not hold my breath eh??
    Meanwhile…
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1b01c305f33181d7b5278c902f4f22e6b58ed978b3920d882f84c01871017ba8.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3bef87cead5001a630db49f3247a787cbf8668aab05ef4c55e8751b16f16bd1.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d25e933654d0606660884f1ffe2f675df9dfbdbbb03b0d122c9a39bd942534c.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/268f8700ab0b03f12b538ba3ad47ad7010aa1f2202dcc87326a65e262e255b1d.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22d7522334cd2e10e0f447afbf2f542d3a3a2a158df87fa33909a9aff27e4c10.jpg
    http://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d7354c395506dc499187f06ce375db76412c9d81fbd08bb16e4aea941f32b853.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cabda613376ef42a47a42c0874b3d01eebbe1fa4fe68867af3f69aa6c5084b05.jpg

    1. I preferred Bellamy to Attenborough even before this climate nonsense took off.

      He did have a weird accented speech though. I suppose it made you concentrate more on what he was saying.

      They did the same to Bill Oddie and replaced him with loony Packham.

      1. SWMBO worked with Bellamy in gardens for disadvantaged East-End children many years ago, early 1980s. She was really impressed by him, as a person and a botanist.

        1. The wife of one of my very closest friends studied Biology at Durham University with David Bellamy. She was a devoted disciple and said he was the most inspirational and knowledgeable teacher she had ever had.

    1. Why no mention of Kangaroo courts and two-tier policing? This surely deserves a mention – in my opinion, it’s the most egregious act so far by this shameless “government”

  54. Horse-drawn chariot terror attack plans found in Gaza. 13 October 2024.

    Hamas planned to use a horse-drawn chariot to attack Israel, documents found in Gaza have revealed.

    Leaders of the terror group drew up plans to launch an ambitious array of attacks on Israel, including by sea and rail, years before the October 7 massacre.

    These must have been from when Alexander the Great was besieging the place in 332 BC. They didn’t work then mind you because he killed all the men and sold the women and children into slavery

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/13/israel-iran-conflict-hamas-hezbollah-lebanon-latest-news/

    2. Next up, a large replica of the Ark of the Covenant filled to the brim with Hamas warriors and left outside the gates of Jerusalem?

  56. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/rachel-reeves-masterminding-shambolic-budget/

    You never know: she could announce the scrapping of capital gains tax, the restoration of pensions tax relief, scrapping the upper and higher rates and raise the allowance to 15,000, business rates and fuel duty. She could abolish all the green taxes and levies slapped on to bills and abolish the standing charge. She could set the rate of veto for council tax at zero (as it should be). She could abandon the subsidy for windmills and heat pumps and just tell energy companies to invest and leave people alone. She could set corporation tax at 10% and stop taxing companies that leave money in the bank. She could scrap stamp duty entirely. Remove the lifetime pensions allowance. Raise the ISA allowance to 50,000.

    She could, you know; create growth.

    But she won't understand why those things create wealth and growth because she doens't understand the basic prinicples of economics. She's wedded the OBR (which has never been right and specifically precludes tax cuts from it's calculations) to the farce.

    We're in a for rough few years. Again.

      3. Secret Documents Show Hamas Tried to Persuade Iran to Join Its Oct. 7 Attack

        For more than two years, Yahya Sinwar huddled with his top Hamas commanders and plotted what they hoped would be the most devastating and destabilizing attack on Israel in the militant group’s four-decade history.
        Minutes of Hamas’ secret meetings, seized by the Israeli military and obtained by The New York Times, provide a detailed record of the planning for the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, as well as Sinwar’s determination to persuade Hamas’ allies, Iran and Hezbollah, to join the assault or at least commit to a broader fight with Israel.

        The documents consist of minutes from 10 secret planning meetings of a small group of Hamas political and military leaders in the run-up to the Oct. 7 attack. The minutes include 30 pages of previously undisclosed details about the way Hamas’ leadership works and the preparations that went into its attack.

        The documents, which were verified by the Times, lay out the main strategies and assessments of the leadership group:

        Hamas initially planned to carry out the attack, which it code-named "the big project,” in the fall of 2022. But the group delayed executing the plan as it tried to persuade Iran and Hezbollah to participate.
        As they prepared arguments aimed at Hezbollah, the Hamas leaders said that Israel’s "internal situation” — an apparent reference to turmoil over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious plans to overhaul the judiciary — was among the reasons they were "compelled to move toward a strategic battle.”
        In July 2023, Hamas dispatched a top official to Lebanon, where he met with a senior Iranian commander and requested help with striking sensitive sites at the start of the assault.
        The senior Iranian commander told Hamas that Iran and Hezbollah were supportive in principle but needed more time to prepare; the minutes do not say how detailed a plan was presented by Hamas to its allies.
        The documents also say that Hamas planned to discuss the attack in more detail at a subsequent meeting with Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader at the time, but do not clarify whether the discussion happened.
        Hamas felt assured of its allies’ general support but concluded it might need to go ahead without their full involvement, in part to stop Israel from deploying an advanced new air-defense system before the assault took place.
        The decision to attack was also influenced by Hamas’ desire to disrupt efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia; the entrenchment of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank; and Israeli efforts to exert greater control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, sacred in both Islam and Judaism and known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
        Hamas deliberately avoided major confrontations with Israel for two years from 2021, in order to maximize the surprise of the 2023 attack.
        Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip said they briefed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ Qatar-based political leader, on "the big project.” It was not previously known whether Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel in July, had been briefed on the attack before it happened.
        The documents provide greater context to one of the most pivotal moments in modern Middle Eastern history, showing it was both the culmination of a yearslong plan as well as a move partly shaped by specific events after Netanyahu returned to power in Israel in late 2022.

        The attack on Israel killed roughly 1,200 people and prompted Israel to bombard and invade Gaza, killing tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians and militants. It ultimately expanded into a broader war between Israel and Hamas’ regional allies.

        The extent to which Iran and Hezbollah knew about Hamas’ initial plans has been one of the persistent mysteries of Oct. 7. The question took on new resonance in recent weeks, after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and Iran’s strikes on Israel.

        Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has publicly denied that Iran had any role in the attack. And U.S. officials have described intelligence showing key Iranian leaders were caught by surprise. But Hamas leaders have spoken broadly about the support they have received from regional allies and there have been scattered and sometimes conflicting reports that Iranian and Hezbollah officials helped plan the attack and train fighters.

        The minutes were discovered on a computer found in late January by Israeli soldiers as they searched an underground Hamas command center in Khan Younis, from which the group’s leaders had recently escaped.

        The Times assessed the documents’ authenticity by sharing some of their contents with members of and experts close to Hamas. The Israeli military, in a separate internal report obtained by the Times, concluded the documents were real.

        The Israeli military declined to comment. Hamas and Hezbollah did not respond to requests for comment. Iran’s Mission to the United Nations denied the claims made in the minutes.

        The documents first hint at the operation in January 2022, when the minutes show that Hamas leaders discussed the need to avoid getting dragged into minor skirmishes to focus on "the big project.”

        By June 2022, preparations for the attack were roughly a month from completion, according to the minutes from that month. The plans included striking positions staffed by the Israeli military division that guards the border, then targeting an air base and intelligence hub in southern Israel, as well as cities and villages. The leaders said it would be easier to target those residential areas if the military bases were overrun first — a prediction that proved to be correct on Oct. 7, 2023.

        Gathering in September 2022, the Hamas leadership council seemed ready to begin the attack within a month. (The documents do not explain why the attack was postponed.) In December 2022, a new far-right government took office in Israel, returning Netanyahu to power.

        At a meeting in May 2023, Sinwar and his colleagues seemed ready to finalize plans for the attack. According to the minutes, the leaders debated whether to launch it Sept. 25, 2023, when most Israelis would be observing Yom Kippur, the most hallowed day in the Jewish calendar, or Oct. 7, 2023, which coincided that year with the Jewish holy day of Simchat Torah.

        In the same meeting, the leadership council said they wanted to carry out the attack by the end of 2023 because Israel had announced it was developing a new laser that could destroy Hamas rockets more efficiently than its current air-defense system.

        Hamas planned to present the attack to Hezbollah, according to the documents, as a way of derailing efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a move that would have further integrated Israel within the Middle East without fully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

        According to the minutes from an August 2023 meeting, Sinwar’s deputy, Khalil al-Hayya, discussed the plan the previous month with Mohammed Said Izadi of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, who was based in Lebanon. Those minutes also said al-Hayya intended to raise it with Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader.

        The meeting with Nasrallah was postponed and the minutes of later meetings do not clarify whether the Hamas deputy was able to eventually present that argument to him in person. The minutes also show that the leaders shared sensitive information with Haniyeh and briefed him on "the big project.”

        The August minutes reported that al-Hayya had told Izadi that Hamas would need help with striking sensitive sites during "the first hour” of the attack. According to the document, Izadi said Hezbollah and Iran welcomed the plan in principle but needed time "to prepare the environment.” As a result, Hamas’ leaders seemed hopeful that their allies would not leave them "exposed,” but they accepted that they might need to carry out the attack alone.

        In the end, Iran did not directly strike Israel until months after Hamas’ attack and Hezbollah came to Hamas’ aid only on Oct. 8, 2023, after Israel had begun to restore control over its borders. Hezbollah continued to distract the Israeli military from Gaza by firing rockets into Israel. The confrontation led to an all-out war in which Israel assassinated Nasrallah and other Hezbollah leaders and invaded the group’s strongholds in southern Lebanon.

        © 2024 The New York Times Company

  58. Stupid boy! I didn't include one of the letters in the 2nd and 3rd attempt:
    Wordle 1,212 4/6

    ⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩
    ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
    ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. After a run of sixes, miracles do happen.

      Wordle 1,212 2/6

      ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      1. That was quite a leap from one mismatch to the solution.

        Not quite a miracle but I am happy with a birdie

        Wordle 1,212 3/6

        ⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩
        🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨
        🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  59. One small heap of brash & garden waste burnt and one mug of tea drank.
    Here's some of the photos I took up the hill t'other day:-
    First a couple of the stack of logs ready for chopping:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e28fc3a511cf53058ea81c9e5506cdca80e738525032dbc331c3db1de3e89ca5.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/86e287ea6b163509ae588e18a3107ad78e8cb1edd683c15e619e613d66111494.jpg

    A couple of the pollarded trunks left behind by the tree fellers. There are 5 or 6 left standing that I plan to drop some time in the future
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/910e2f0fbbadc181826658e39c906f4fcf195c7b49bb4f3587910cd92f3ed1cc.jpg
    One of my ex-Christmas Trees
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/715e82ee63dc1a274e5f605652cb4736c9a80db0ea986c469982add9680c5c3a.jpg
    And this magnificent specimen is the first Christmas Tree I planted out over 20y ago
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a10fc2a20ebf9df1f035b717d27d445b0f0f691c4697cbb93d19ef8413e5a71.jpg
    And the DT came out to get the washing in
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/959bbe551698376e97338b992ab23e8bdf6ae493a83b163a903245a6979d7515.jpg

    1. Afternoon Johnathan. Reading between the lines the Ukie front is in danger of imploding. The news of a Russian breakthrough in Kursk has been hastily suppressed and I've just had one of my comments in the Telegraph deleted for mentioning it. Lol.

          1. Thanks, I missed that story. Today is Monday and I note that both the Telegraph and Mail have stories about Ukrainians being press ganged into the military. They are obviously getting desperate.

    2. Afternoon Johnathan. Reading between the lines the Ukie front is in danger of imploding. The news of a Russian breakthrough in Kursk has been hastily suppressed and I've just had one of my comments in the Telegraph deleted for mentioning it. Lol.

  61. The article about the threat to Israel – as requested, but in Norwegian. I don't have access in an Englsih language paper…

    Aviser: Hamas skal ha planlagt større og tidligere angrep
    Terrorgruppen valgte å utsette fordi de ville ha med seg Iran og Hizbollah, viser dokumenter den israelske hæren sier de fant i Gaza.

    Tor Arne Andreassen
    Journalist
    Publisert: 13.10.2024 12:51
    Det voldsomme Hamas-angrepet på Israel 7. oktober 2023 skal egentlig ha blitt planlagt gjennomført tidligere. Det ble utsatt fordi Hamas ville ha hjelp fra Iran og Hizbollah, viser dokumenter som avisene New York Times, Washington Post og Wall Street Journal har fått tak i.

    Det dreier seg om dokumenter som den israelske hæren (IDF) skal ha funnet i januar i år, under krigføringen på Gazastripen.

    Den israelske hæren har ikke sagt hvorfor de valgte å dele dokumentene med flere av USAs største aviser og hvorfor de har gjort det nå. Aftenposten har ikke sett dokumentene.

    Cirka 1200 mennesker ble drept, 5500 ble skadet og 251 ble bortført da Hamas ledet et angrep på Israel 7. oktober i fjor.

    Men flere år før fjorårets angrep skal Hamas ha planlagt et mye dødeligere angrep, viser dokumenter Washington Post har sett. Hamas skal ha ønsket å etterape 11. september-angrepet på USA ved å kræsje et fly inn i en skyskraper i Tel Aviv.

    Hamas-lederne la press på Iran for at de skulle hjelpe dem med å nå målet om å utslette den jødiske staten, ifølge dokumenter som israelske styrker sier de har beslaglagt i Gaza.

    Ba om milliard fra Iran
    Washington Post har fått tilgang til 59 sider med dokumenter, skrevet på arabisk. Det skal utgjør en ørliten del av de tusenvis med sider som den israelske hæren har beslaglagt under Gaza-krigen. Avisen skriver at selv om de ikke kan si helt sikkert om dokumentene er ekte, stemmer innholdet overens med USAs og allierte lands etterretning om hvordan Hamas planla 7. oktober-angrepet og med gruppens forhold til Iran.

    Hamas så for seg at allierte grupper skulle angripe Israel samtidig fra nord, sør og øst.

    Palestinerne skal ha vurdert å bruke alt fra tog og båter til hest og kjerre. Noen av planene skal ha vært lite gjennomtenkt og var høyst upraktiske, sier terroreksperter til avisen.

    Dokumentene viser ifølge avisene hvordan Hamas’ Gaza-leder Yahya Sinwar skal ha planlagt et stort angrep på Israel.
    Dokumentene viser ifølge avisene hvordan Hamas’ Gaza-leder Yahya Sinwar skal ha planlagt et stort angrep på Israel. Foto: Adel Hana / AP / NTB
    «Det store prosjektet»
    New York Times har fått tilgang til dokumenter som den israelske hæren sier de har funnet på Gazastripen.

    Ifølge dokumentene skal Hamas opprinnelig ha planlagt å gjennomføre et stort angrep på Israel, med kodenavnet «det store prosjektet», høsten 2022. Men gruppen utsatte planen fordi de forsøkte å få Iran og Hizbollah til å delta, ifølge dokumentene.

    Avisen sier de har verifisert 30 sider med referater fra 10 møter, der Hamas’ daværende Gaza-leder, Yahya Sinwar, diskuterer angrepet med andre toppledere.

    Dokumentene inneholder en rekke opplysninger:

    Hamas-lederne ville utnytte intern politisk strid i Israel.
    I juni 2023 sendte de en mann til Libanon for å møte en iransk kommandant. Han ba iranerne angripe sensitive steder samtidig som Hamas startet sitt angrep.
    Den ledende iraneren sa til Hamas at Iran og Hizbollah i prinsippet støttet dem, men at de trengte mer tid til å forberede seg. Dokumentene sier ikke hvor detaljerte planer som ble delt med iranerne.
    Hamas planla å diskutere angrepet med Hizbollahs daværende leder Hassan Nasrallah. Dokumentene viser ikke om de faktisk gjorde det.
    Hamas følte seg sikre på sine alliertes generelle støtte, men konkluderte med at de kanskje måtte gjennomføre angrepet uten sine alliertes fulle medvirkning, delvis fordi de ville hindre Israels utplassering av et nytt luftforsvarssystem.
    Beslutningen om angrepet ble påvirket av Hamas’ ønske om å stoppe normaliseringen av forholdet mellom Israel og Saudi-Arabia.
    Hamas unngikk bevisst å angripe Israel i to år. Hensikten var å overbevise israelerne om at Hamas ønsket ro.
    Hamas-lederne i Gaza sier de briefet Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ daværende politiske leder, som befant seg i Qatar, om «det store prosjektet».
    Dokumentene som gjengis av New York Times, var på en datamaskin som i januar i år skal ha blitt funnet av israelske soldater i et underjordisk anlegg i Khan Younis på Gazastripen.

    Avisen har vurdert om dokumentene er ekte ved å snakke med medlemmer av Hamas og med eksperter som er nært knyttet til Hamas.

    Hizbollah angrep Israel dagen etter Hamas’ store angrep i fjor. Krigen mellom Israel og Hizbollah ble intensivert i slutten av september i år.
    Hizbollah angrep Israel dagen etter Hamas’ store angrep i fjor. Krigen mellom Israel og Hizbollah ble intensivert i slutten av september i år. Foto: Louisa Gouliamaki / Reuters / NTB
    Sinwar ba Iran sende 5 milliarder kroner
    Den israelske hæren har delt dokumenter de skal ha funnet i Gaza med journalister, skriver Wall Street Journal. Dokumentene synes å vise at Iran ga finansiell og militær støtte til Hamas før angrepet 7. oktober, skriver avisen.

    I et brev skrevet på arabisk sier Iran at de har satt av 10 millioner dollar, over 100 millioner kroner, til Hamas’ væpnede fløy. Noen uker senere ber Yahya Sinwar om 500 millioner dollar, over 5 milliarder kroner, fordelt på 20 millioner i måneden over cirka to år.

    Wall Street Journal skriver at de ikke selv har kunnet verifisere om dokumentene er ekte. Hamas har ikke villet gi noen kommentar til dokumentene.

    Vestlige land og eksperter har i årevis ment at Hamas og Hizbollah har fått finansiell og militær støtte fra Iran. Men Iran har sagt at de ikke visste om 7. oktober-angrepet på forhånd.

    Den permanente utsendingen fra Iran til FN sa lørdag til Newsweek at forsøk på å knytte angrepet til Iran og Hizbollah «mangler troverdighet og kommer fra fabrikkerte dokumenter».

    1. From Google Translate:
      Newspapers: Hamas is said to have planned larger and earlier attacks
      The terrorist group chose to delay because they wanted to bring Iran and Hezbollah with them, according to documents the Israeli army says they found in Gaza.

      Palestinians cheer at a burning Israeli tank on October 7 last year.
      Palestinians cheer at a burning Israeli tank on October 7 last year. Photo: Hassan Eslaiah / AP / NTB
      Tor Arne Andreassen
      Tor Arne Andreassen
      Journalist
      Published: 13/10/2024 12:51
      The violent Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 should have actually been planned earlier. It was postponed because Hamas wanted help from Iran and Hezbollah, according to documents obtained by the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

      It concerns documents that the Israeli army (IDF) is said to have found in January this year, during the war in the Gaza Strip.

      The Israeli army has not said why it chose to share the documents with several of America's biggest newspapers and why it has done so now. Aftenposten has not seen the documents.

      About 1,200 people were killed, 5,500 were injured and 251 were abducted when Hamas led an attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

      But several years before last year's attack, Hamas is said to have planned a much deadlier attack, documents seen by the Washington Post show. Hamas is said to have wanted to imitate the September 11 attack on the United States by crashing a plane into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv.

      Hamas leaders pressured Iran to help them achieve their goal of wiping out the Jewish state, according to documents Israeli forces say they seized in Gaza.

      Asked for billion from Iran
      The Washington Post has obtained access to 59 pages of documents, written in Arabic. It should make up a tiny fraction of the thousands of pages that the Israeli army has seized during the Gaza war. The newspaper writes that although they cannot say for sure whether the documents are genuine, their content is consistent with US and allied countries' intelligence on how Hamas planned the October 7 attack and with the group's relationship with Iran.

      Hamas envisioned allied groups attacking Israel simultaneously from the north, south and east.

      The Palestinians are said to have considered using everything from trains and boats to horses and carts. Some of the plans must have been poorly thought out and were highly impractical, terror experts tell the newspaper.

      The documents show, according to the newspapers, how Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar is said to have planned a major attack on Israel.
      The documents show, according to the newspapers, how Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar is said to have planned a major attack on Israel. Photo: Adel Hana / AP / NTB
      "The Big Project"
      The New York Times has obtained documents that the Israeli army says it found in the Gaza Strip.

      According to the documents, Hamas originally planned to carry out a major attack on Israel, codenamed "The Great Project", in the fall of 2022. But the group postponed the plan because it was trying to get Iran and Hezbollah to participate, according to the documents.

      The newspaper says it has verified 30 pages of minutes from 10 meetings, where Hamas' then Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, discusses the attack with other top leaders.

      The documents contain a range of information:

      The Hamas leaders wanted to exploit internal political strife in Israel.
      In June 2023, they sent a man to Lebanon to meet with an Iranian commander. He told the Iranians to attack sensitive sites at the same time that Hamas launched its attack.
      The senior Iranian told Hamas that Iran and Hezbollah supported them in principle, but that they needed more time to prepare. The documents do not say how detailed plans were shared with the Iranians.
      Hamas planned to discuss the attack with Hezbollah's then-leader Hassan Nasrallah. The documents do not show whether they actually did so.
      Hamas felt assured of its allies' general support, but concluded that it might have to carry out the attack without its allies' full cooperation, in part because it wanted to prevent Israel's deployment of a new air defense system.
      The decision on the attack was influenced by Hamas' desire to stop the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
      Hamas deliberately avoided attacking Israel for two years. The purpose was to convince the Israelis that Hamas wanted calm.
      Hamas leaders in Gaza say they briefed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's political leader at the time, who was in Qatar, about "the big project".
      The documents reproduced by the New York Times were on a computer which in January of this year is said to have been found by Israeli soldiers in an underground facility in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

      The newspaper has assessed whether the documents are genuine by speaking to members of Hamas and to experts closely linked to Hamas.

      Hezbollah attacked Israel the day after Hamas' major attack last year. The war between Israel and Hezbollah intensified at the end of September this year.
      Hezbollah attacked Israel the day after Hamas' major attack last year. The war between Israel and Hezbollah intensified at the end of September this year. Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki / Reuters / NTB
      Sinwar asked Iran to send NOK 5 billion
      The Israeli army has shared documents it allegedly found in Gaza with journalists, writes the Wall Street Journal. The documents seem to show that Iran provided financial and military support to Hamas before the attack on October 7, the newspaper writes.

      In a letter written in Arabic, Iran says that it has set aside 10 million dollars, over NOK 100 million, for Hamas's armed wing. A few weeks later, Yahya Sinwar asks for 500 million dollars, over 5 billion kroner, divided into 20 million a month over approximately two years.

      The Wall Street Journal writes that they have not been able to verify whether the documents are genuine. Hamas did not want to comment on the documents.

      Western countries and experts have believed for years that Hamas and Hezbollah have received financial and military support from Iran. But Iran has said it did not know about the October 7 attack in advance.

      Iran's permanent envoy to the United Nations told Newsweek on Saturday that attempts to link the attack to Iran and Hezbollah "lack credibility and come from fabricated documents."

  62. Dr Zoë Harcombe PhD and Dr Malcolm Kendrick – Apology

    By The Mail On Sunday

    Published: 00:00, 13 October 2024 | Updated: 01:14, 13 October 2024

    e-mail

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    On 3 March 2019, The Mail on Sunday published articles (one headlined "The deadly propaganda of the statin deniers") in which we featured Dr Zoë Harcombe PhD, a researcher, writer and public speaker on diet, health and nutritional science, and Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP, writer, and lecturer, with an interest in cardiovascular disease. Dr Harcombe and Dr Kendrick brought proceedings for libel.

    At trial, the Court held that our articles had accused Dr Harcombe and Dr Kendrick of knowingly making false statements about statins, and that a very large number of people ceased to take statin medication and were exposed to serious risk of heart attack or stroke on a scale worse than the MMR vaccine scandal as a result of those false statements. The articles also alleged that there were strong grounds to suspect Dr Harcombe and Dr Kendrick of making these statements motivated by the hope that they would benefit materially, and included quotes from the then Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, which suggested that their statements were ‘pernicious lies’.

    We accept the findings of the Court that the inclusion of the Hancock quote created a misleading impression of what he said. We also accept that these allegations are untrue and ought not to have been published.

    We are happy to set the record straight, and apologise to Dr Harcombe and Dr Kendrick for the distress caused. We will not repeat the allegations and have agreed to pay substantial damages and costs.

    To report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonline.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to http://www.mailonline.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. You can also write to Readers' Editor, MailOnline, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or contact IPSO directly at http://ipso.co.uk

  64. The Space X Heavy launch and booster capture just went to perfection!

    The stainless steel booster is approx 240 feet tall x 9 feet wide came down vertically into the 'Chopstick arms"

        1. His brilliant genes should be prized and shared out ..

          Is he married , does he have children …

          His genius sperm should be valued and bottled ..

          What a pity Einstein's genes and the others of that era weren't saved..

          However having said that sometimes the dumbest families produce many incredibly clever individuals .. and they are not the sons and daughters of toolmakers!!!!

          2. 12 children … goodness me .. I would love to know how he had the time to sow his seed and create all the imaginative projects he succeeded to show the world .

  68. Good day,

    Today we have a superbly well-researched article from a woman who suffers from the much misunderstood and often maligned ME disease. Alice Cavendish makes a convincing case that ME is not, as is so often alleged, psychosomatic, but instead a very real and debilitating viral-based disease that destroys lives. Sufferers however, get little or no support. It took Alice a lot of hard, difficult work and no little courage to write it, so please, do read it and leave a comment.

    freespeechbacklash.com

    1. An informative article.
      Will be interested in reading part 2.
      I wonder if certain viral illnesses are involved, or it is sheer bad luck?
      After I had glandular fever at the grand old age of 40, for a couple of years afterwards, I had days where, when I woke up, I knew I had to rearrange my priorities. It was a case of doing what had to be done, rather than all I would like to fit in during that day.
      These incidents faded away; strangely enough, doing those years I never caught a cold.

    2. I have a cousin , who is married to a farmer , their own land , acres and acres , they were livestock and arable until the appalling foot and mouth outbreak .. they were in the Triangle where many farms were affected in the N/E of England ..

      Their daughter developed something similar to ME.. could have been sheep dip, or other chemicals that were commonly used on the farm , nobody knows .

      I have heard many stories about sprays and chemicals ..

      My own strange state of health which comes and goes could possibly be the result of living in Africa , when the houses , ditches and gullies were sprayed with DDT, and my father was a dab hand with the old fashioned Flit spray to keep the flies and mossies down ..

      Malaria and Yellow fever and other ailments were commonly known , and also we had to take a malaria tablet every day in those early days .

      I once walked into Primark and nearly fainted and felt very sick, the smell of chemicals on their cheap clothes and shoes had a profound effect on me .

      Carpet shops do the same to me , as well as the paint sections in B+Q etc .

      Slurry smell from nearby farms are also horrid , and don't mention motorways and town centres …

      Says I, a Diesel car driver!!!!

      PS , I can wear nice perfume , yes I am choosy , but I love nice scent , and also the scent of the aromatics some men use , the subtle stuff.. nothing nicer than the pleasant whiff one can smell on a man .

      1. Belle, do listen to the Delingpod with Joe Morrell. He is a farmer's son who was crippled for years by similar problems.

          2. hmm..apologies BB2 .. I may have spoken out of turn, can’t actually find anything online to suggest he suffered Lyme..lupus is mentioned, possibly I mixed the two up. He does seem to have had a bad time. Speaks out against wind turbines – I fully support him in that. Kate.

      2. As a child in Nigeria, I used to play in the dust and dirt with my friends. Favourite game was dribbling sand from a hand, pretending to be a plane making contrails. Breathing that dust meant I had tonsilitis monthly… still have the tonsils, the logic being that they were doing what they are supposed to, so leave them in – many had them removed.
        Paludrine daily against malaria – result: I have yellow skin, and go a dirty yellow colour when tanned (think: 1980s Central Line train ceiling, with all the smokers tar and nicotine condensed on it…). Otherwise, that kind of immune workout when young means I'm never ill from a disease – just internal failings like stroke, heart, …

        1. I didn't have paludrine, but I have sallow skin and tend to go yellowish when tanned. Ate a lot of dirt as a child, though (very mucky kid!).

        2. Unusually for the 1950s, our GP took the same view on tonsillitis.
          He explained to my parents that the illness showed they were working. I was probably the only pupil in my class who kept her tonsils.

      3. Organophosphates in sheep dip. Known to cause problems with the nervous system. Two of my friends (husband and wife) who ran a nursery both went down with Parkinsons. The odds on that are very rare, but he used OPs and she washed his clothes.

        1. Who was the Duchess who used her seat in the Pre-Blair House of Lords to campaign for recognition of the problems caused by Organo-Phosphates? Was it Duchess of Sutherland?
          A perfect example of why the Hereditary Peers should be restored to the Upper Chamber.

      4. Margaret, Countess of Mar.

        "In the summer of 1989, while dipping her sheep through a tank of organophosphorous chemicals, Lady Mar was subjected to a splash of chemicals on her foot, and three weeks later developed headaches and muscular pains. She was eventually diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.[16][17][18] Since then Lady Mar used her seat in the House of Lords almost exclusively to press the government to provide suitable care and support for patients with similar long-term and poorly understood medical conditions, and to better regulate the use of organophosphates. This also led to her membership on the EU sub-committees listed above.

        As a consequence of her illness, Lady Mar founded the organisation Forward-ME to co-ordinate the activities of a fairly broad spectrum of charities and voluntary organisations working with patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)."

        1. Just resurfaced after watching young musician of the year on the Beeb .

          That is a very interesting article , Anne .

          That is exactly the theory that cousin’s daughter might have been in involved with, dipping the sheep on the farm .

          She has bad weeks and good weeks .. none of us know , do we.

          I often wonder why there are so many children on the Autistic spectrum and other disorders , and what on earth have they been exposed to in their very early life .

          Off track here , but I often wonder whether mother’s in labour , sniff too much Entonox ..What is Entonox? 
          Entonox is the trade name for “gas and air” or “laughing gas”, which is used as a form of pain relief.  

          It’s comprised of oxygen and nitrous oxide and is commonly used in areas, such as acute trauma, labour wards, community settings (home births), as well as during wound dressings and suturing.  

          Entonox is administered through a mouthpiece: when the patient inhales, a valve opens and allows the gas to be released – however, vapours can also be released into the room. 

          What are the risks? 
          Members might inhale Entonox in what’s known as occupational exposure, when working with a patient who is using it to manage pain and the room is poorly ventilated. 

          This can lead to adverse health effects including a decrease in mental performance, audio-visual ability and manual dexterity.

    3. I don't recall ever having seen ME described as a mental problem, Tom. Husband of SWMBOs friend has it, it's not so nice, especially now it's well developed.

        1. I've not yet read your article, Tom, just been on a car journey to warm up the climate. What a barsteward, eh? I'll read it later.
          BTW, your email also mentioned it.

          1. Thanks. The writer, Alice, will apreciate it. Hope you’ve emitted a good healthy dose of CO2.

          2. Quite right..crops need it, Tom :-)) was telling someone think of all the greenery when dinos were around, all that farting….some people just don't like my soh….

          4. They do, also in their polytunnels, and not just toms. Reducing the sprays they use (I can believe that would have an effect on some people, always wash your fruit/veg even if label says no need to…)

          7. And, after last night's dinner, plenty of methane, H2S and, unfortunately, mercaptans. SWMBO was not amused.

          10. Booking Thursday. Tyre warehouse store winter/summer wheels, inspect and change them over.
            I can do it, but not SWMBO – so, she can deliver & collect car as necessary, without me.

  69. We do waste time on it. Over the past years since 2000 I’ve voted very little, since it’s obvious that it would have made no difference most of the time. I’ve saved some time. I think it did make a difference voting Reform last time and Brexit before that and barring them all turning into invaders from space or something I can see me doing it next time too.

    The beauty of the current lot with Kneelalot and his gang of dangerous imbeciles is that I’m free from having to do anything the government says. I certainly won’t be doing all the environmental idiocy for instance, since the guy in charge has not the first idea of what he’s doing. Similarly I won’t be conforming to the next plandemic, etc. There are ways of making yourself scarce. People should never lose sight of the palpably obvious, which is that this lot don’t even know where the levers of power are, let alone how to work them.

    Wicked people running the asylum who happen to have an incompetence quotient right of the scale, is my view.

  71. Miliband ‘wastes cash’ on net-zero pylon blight
    Campaigners accuse the Energy Secretary of pursuing ‘dogmatic’ agenda and warn of ‘pitchfork battles’ with rural communities

    Camilla Turner Sunday Political Editor 12 October 2024 6:23pm BST

    Ed Miliband’s plan to erect thousands of pylons across Britain has been criticised after an official report found that burying electricity cables underground can be cheaper.

    One of the Government’s core arguments for ruling out the possibility of burying cables underground to help meet net zero targets by 2030 is that it is “more expensive” than building pylons with overhead lines.

    But an official report into the East Anglia Network – where a large-scale pylon roll-out from Norwich to Tilbury is planned – has found that burying cables is cheaper over the longer term.

    It is a boost for campaigners pushing for energy alternatives that have a less dramatic impact on the landscape, particularly in the countryside.

    The Energy Secretary has now been accused of pursuing a “dogmatic” pylon agenda, despite evidence that there are viable and cost-effective alternatives.

    Campaigners believe the conclusions in the report are likely to apply across the country and are now urging ministers to commission a nationwide report into pylon alternatives.

    Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, is accused of pursuing a 'dogmatic' pylons agenda.

    James Cartlidge, the Tory MP for South Suffolk whose constituents are fiercely opposed to the planned pylon roll-out in their area, said Mr Miliband was “ideologically committed to pylons even if the data says there are other options”.

    Mr Cartlidge, who has written to the Energy Secretary to highlight the report’s findings, said Mr Miliband’s “dogmatic” adherence to the 2030 clean power target was leading him to sideline other options.

    “The report shows that you can wait until 2034 and still have what is a very competitively priced option [of underground cables] that doesn’t lead to permanent damage to the countryside,” he said.

    “It gives you the basis of what a grid could look like elsewhere in the country – this is how to avoid pitchfork battles with rural communities.”

    James Cartlidge, the Tory MP for South Suffolk, has written to Mr Miliband, highlighting a report which says burying cables could be cheaper than pylons

    Labour’s goal to achieve clean power by 2030 is five years ahead of the target set by the previous government and will require a doubling of onshore wind and hundreds of miles of new cables and pylons.

    The East Anglia network report states that it would not be possible to build a system of underground cables by 2030 due to the time involved in digging and installation. It would be possible to erect a sufficient number of pylons by this time.

    However, under a 2034 time frame an underground cable system would come in £600 million cheaper than using pylons, it says.

    The study was published by the National Energy System Operator, which was previously part of the National Grid but since the start of this month has become a separate government-owned body charged with accelerating Labour’s “clean power mission”.

    Government sources said pushing ahead with the 2030 target was crucial to boost grid capacity and avoid the extra costs of so-called “constraint payments”. The payments – where wind farms are paid to turn their turbines off to avoid overloading the grid and risk energy blackouts – currently add up to around £1 billion a year.

    But Mr Cartlidge countered that the proposed pylon roll-outs were likely to face legal challenges from local residents which would slow down their delivery, possibly until 2034, which would also add to costs.

    The East Anglia Network report says that, given a 2034 time frame, burying cables would be £600 million cheaper than using pylons

    The National Grid has outlined 17 major infrastructure projects to deliver on the 2030 target, including 112 miles of pylons running from Norwich to Tilbury in Essex.

    Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: “In the Conservative manifesto we promised a rapid review of undergrounding precisely because the Energy System Operator said that this can save costs in the long run and protect the beautiful countryside which we all cherish.

    “If Ed Miliband’s reckless 2030 decarbonisation target means that we end up paying through the nose for all the energy infrastructure he will need to build, then it is ordinary families that will be paying the price through higher taxes or higher bills.”

    The Norwich to Tilbury development would see 520 pylons, each 164 feet tall, supporting a new high-voltage electricity transmission line between Norwich in Norfolk, Bramford in Suffolk and Tilbury in Essex. It would carry electricity generated by offshore wind farms through the Waveney Valley towards London.

    The proposal is deeply unpopular with local residents and the leaders of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk county councils have called on National Grid to rethink their plans and opt for offshore cables instead.

    They claim the pylons will “wreck” their landscapes and that their countryside will be disproportionately affected by the roll-out, which they say will scare off tourists and ruin farmland.

    Along with Lincolnshire council leaders, they have warned that they will launch a High Court challenge to block Mr Miliband’s plans.

    Earlier this month, the newly appointed net zero tsar announced that the Government has ruled out burying electricity cables underground as part of its energy strategy.

    Chris Stark, the former leader of the Climate Change Committee who now heads the Government’s “mission control” department for decarbonising the grid, said he believed the benefits of underground cables were “overstated” and would “cost too much”.

    He added: “We don’t want to end up in a situation where we delay the whole project by looking at those things.”

    A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “Underground cabling is more expensive and costs are borne by the electricity bill payer.

    “Securing Britain’s clean energy future will require improving infrastructure in a cost-effective way to get renewable electricity on the grid. Without this infrastructure, we will never deliver clean power for the British people.

    “It is important we take people with us and are considering ways to ensure communities who live near clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits of this.”

    1. As far as the scientifically illiterate Milioaf is concerned it’s a case of “don’t bother me with facts, my mind is made up”

      1. If Millipede's ambition is to beget the greatest economic catastrophe in the Western World, he has not far to go.

        Obviously, the Prime Minister will enjoy prime responsibility.

    2. Ed Miliband’s plan to erect thousands of pylons across Britain has been criticised after an official report found that burying electricity cables underground can be cheaper.

      We should bury them underground anyway. One of the reasons for power cuts in the US in the wake of storms is that nearly all electricity is deliver by overhead lines. There is also their appearance. We don't need to live in what looks like an electricians scrap yard.

      1. In the eighties we had a lot of power cuts here because of ice storms. The freezing rain coated the electricity cables and brought them down. You wouldn't get that with them underground (as long as they were buried deep enough to avoid the surface frosts).

    3. Like all lefties, Milliband hates and mistrusts beautiful things and is attracted to ugliness.
      Jonathan Myles-Lea told a story of visiting Rome with a party that included a far left wing academic. She kept seeing the negatives of Rome and the Catholic church, until in despair, J M-L said "but politics aside, can't you just appreciate the beauty of these things?" upon which she snapped "Beauty is fascism!"

    4. I doubt he'll get his way, Labour be out of office first – there will be many protests/disputes garnering publicity. He's a dope, first water.

    5. Millioaf is pursuing an ideologically committed agenda – just not one that favours the countryside, country or the consumer. The electricity bill payer is already shouldering the burden of the oaf's net zero policy. We're subsidising useless renewables.

  72. Romsey Abbey, a Norman Church built on the foundations of a Saxon building first dedicated in 907.
    A beautiful place.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/249d04715c70215b4cfb178565e11048a73338e7d9d559f008eb9b6f94ddb889.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7e8454bfd799d6f3217263e9a10df03be268e84d5e8bbab2d8576d831994cfb.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/24a9dbfe07237380f4ab2baf14dd0d13ee18caf0dbcd5b869218b6623ca23ca9.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d9e855e26ee0ecc56fa92c5f66b19861c82b2e02e3c8648af31d758b69c14787.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1b7f2c9be19bb04fa48dd04147793601fa760b0fa41c5f892cc29e3960a0edf.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f48c1efe734e85a5ce3db10d585c36d9e9224dde3f695161637056127858b5b6.jpg

  73. Utterly off topic

    Every year the house gets invaded by huge numbers of ladybirds of every marking and colour scheme.
    The first few hundred have arrived on the walls and creepers and are working their way into the nooks and crannies and will be over-wintering, many of them easing their way into light fittings.

    The house will be crawling with them over the next few weeks and almost overnight there will be very few to be seen until the Spring, when the reverse process takes place.

    They don't seem to do any harm and they are a boon in the garden, eating things I don't want..

    1. You lucky old thing, sos…very very few here, insect numbers down generally, bats have moved on. If I find out he's been spraying when I've been away…there will be what my dad would call 'hell on'.

    2. Interesting, Sos. I wonder if you are at a latitude, a "Goldilocks" latitude, which is perfect for their hibernation. I imagine geography, temperature and precipitation would all come into it. You often say how blessed you are with orchids and and animals there.

      1. We are just a few miles from the 45th parallel.
        I don't know how wide parallels are, but in theory one can stand astride it and have one foot nearer the North Pole and the other nearer the Equator.

        1. You can do that at 50° latitude on the Lizard peninsular too, Technically the line has zero width I imagine.

          2. Yes, except for the imaginary lion that runs around the equator.

            Edited. Damn, should have written 'menagerie".

          4. Tilt of the earth I presume, but I clearly don’t understand how latitude works if you can.

          5. The Equator equals 0° latitude. Geographic north pole = 90° north. At 45° north you are halfway between the two, geometrically speaking. The Earth in reality though is not a regular sphere nor spheroid nor oblate spheroid. Latitude and longitude are just geometrical devices for relatively rough calculations of where we are on the face of the planet.
            It's quite fascinating if you have time to read about it.

            https://www.britannica.com/science/geoid

          6. I posted without the additional aspect.

            Ignorance/carelessness on my part.

            At 45 you are on the halfway point, so the distance difference between North Pole and Equator is theoretically inches. As Made in Britain noted:
            Surely you can do that anywhere?! True but not what I was trying say.

          1. Probably, but on the 45th the difference is negligible.

            I put the comment badly, the 45th is as near as damn it the equidistant point.

      1. I like them and we’re lucky enough to see hundreds if not thousands in the garden over the year

  74. Look at the subject matter and then at the picture of the bride.

    Oh, really?

    Sweden and Denmark are both putting plans in place to ban marriages between cousins over fears the practice is contributing to domestic violence and 'oppression'.

    On Wednesday, officials in Stockholm recommend banning cousin marriage after an inquiry was held into the practice.

    The investigation stated that there is a specific risk of girls and women facing 'honor-related oppression' in these marriages.

    A day later, Danish Government leaders followed similar steps and stated they would eventually ban inter-cousin marriages.

    Both countries are following in the footsteps of their Scandinavian neighbours Norway – who brought in a ban for marriages concluded between close relatives including between cousins, uncles or aunts, and nieces or nephews – this summer.

    In the midst of these decisions, some – such as Sunday Times columnist Matthew Syed – believe a similar law should be brought into the UK to 'boost growth and reduce bloodshed'.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13954609/Sweden-Denmark-ban-marriage-cousins.html

    1. Sweden and Denmark are both putting plans in place to ban marriages between cousins over fears the practice is contributing to domestic violence and 'oppression'.

      Is this a euphemism for Paki marriages?

      1. I suspect so, although it's a commoner Asian ME practice than in most parts of the world nowadays.

    2. Sweden and Denmark are both putting plans in place to ban marriages between cousins over fears the practice is contributing to domestic violence and 'oppression'.

      Is this a euphemism for Paki marriages?

    3. That'll upset the slammers. Can't be doing that.
      Det går ikke an! Må ikke gjøres! Umulig!

    4. Really not healthy genetically. Similar in other parts of the world eg India, some babies born with extra limbs. Also I think Roman emperor lines, Caligula mad as box of frogs apparently.

      1. A good old schoolfriend of mine had first cousin parents. She was born with a cleft palette and hare lip, had a lot of surgery as a child and teenager. Her sister had mental health issues and her brother drank himself to death. It's certainly not a practice to be encouraged.

        1. Very sad to read, Ndovu. I knew a couple of teens at school who had ops for harelip…not something we often if ever see any more, thankfully. Definitely not to be encouraged.

          1. You see it a lot overseas, judging by the adverts wanting our money (when I still had a TV).

          2. in Turkey, especially – boob n butt (some have had to be ‘corrected’ by NHS England) and also teeth. I know a guy every tooth needed implants..dentist said would wait years on NHS but said around 25k to do privately. Dentist saw him one day passing, offered 10k to do it ‘on the side’…he went to Turkey had ’em done for around £4k incl air fare. He has a gleaming set of (very) white gnashers. Every one a winner eh Conway 😀

        2. That's why there are rules laid down, in places such as the Bible, to try to prevent such things.
          I hope your friend got past it. Terrible about the brother.

    5. In the UK the statute law (and ecclesiastical law) has long forbade sexual relations between the following:

      A man is forbidden to have sexual relations with any woman he knows to be his: mother; sister; daughter; granddaughter.

      A woman is forbidden to have sexual relations with any man she knows to be her: grandfather; father; brother; son.

      Curiously it is not against the law (nor is it a cardinal sin) for a man to have sexual relations with a woman he knows to be his grandmother; nor for a woman with a man she knows to be her grandson.

      This unfathomable curiosity apparently came about because, (a) it wasn't forbidden in ecclesiastical literature, and (b) the lawmakers at the time thought it would be unfeasible for a man to want to have sexual relations with his grandmother (and vice versa).

      It may also explain the popularity of the grab-a-granny night.

  75. Passing through and signing off. Was "took queer" this morning = day in bed. Back another day.

    2. Every hope for your speedy recovery without you causing too much trouble to the MR. We all silently wish we had an MR, at least I do, without ever wishing to be 'took queer'.

  76. Starmer removes paintings of Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh from No 10. 13 October 2024.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e57ed2b71d99a30953ee8c1dfc268a0b9c2aec38362b001879dc60ce73f93130.png

    The paintings of the last Tudor monarch and the famed explorer of the Americas previously adorned the walls of a room used for Prime Ministerial meetings with world leaders.

    But both artworks have now been replaced with scenes from Crivelli’s Garden, a mural by the late Portuguese-born artist Dame Paula Rego whose art focuses on “strong and courageous women”.

    The above is an example of Rego's work. Starmer of course has no authority (or taste) to remove paintings from 10 Downing Street. He is merely a lodger.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/13/starmer-removes-paintings-queen-elizabeth-i-walter-raleigh/

      1. But far more dangerous Tom, people often have rely on planks for support.
        But I know what you mean. He's clearly anti British more anti English in more than one aspect.
        A very nasty piece of work.

        1. Our instructor on my fitter's course, once described the whole class, as thick as 47 shithouse seats!

    5. The truth is, he has to surround himself by mediocrity otherwise he would feel inferior with Raleigh and Elizabeth looking down at him.

    4. It's a NOTTLish sort of word. My mother used to use this word quite a lot; I don't remember hearing anyone else doing so!

    5. Blimey, well done Rene – you still had a lot of options there!
      Piss poor bogey for me, what a disappointment…..

      Wordle 1,212 5/6

      ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
      🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
      🟨🟨🟨⬜🟨
      🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    6. I was only trying to establish whether the one remaining vowel was featured.

      Wordle 1,212 2/6

      ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Whilst the TR rally is going to be a peaceful one, i suspect these so-called “anti-racists/anti-fascists” (sic) are out to cause trouble.

    2. I wish i lived in Hastings. I could get a subsidised trip to Lindon to attend the TR rally!!!

      1. It'll be one in the eye for whoever it is after the French invasion force lands on the beach.

    4. "Unite against islamophobia and antisemitism"
      So that's pretty much everyone else in the UK then?

      1. 394605+ up ticks,

        Evening BB2,
        I would like to think so, until I bring to mind the referendum result as in 48% / 52%

    1. And if Israel & Iran really kick off and there is an oil shock and the price is untenable the US President courtesy of power enacted back in 2015 has the authority to suspend exports of all US raw crude. Then within hours we have oil prices north of $200 per barrel.
      So you got all that covered Mr Milipede? Right?

      1. Yup.
        I have a nasty feeling it will all kick off in the Middle East shortly. Brace yerself!

        1. I'm seriously considering buying a generator, Paul. Apart from a gas combi boiler (which obviously needs volts to operate), I'm all-electric here.

          Storm Arwen was a wake-up call. Widespread power cut, locally. All the local mobile cells went down. I dug out my analogue phone, which still worked, but everyone I tried to call was using a cordless answerphone. None of which were working. I battled through the wind and made it to the nearby rail station, hoping that they might have power, hence Wi-Fi. Nope. But, from the centtre of the footbridge, I picked up a mobile signal from Hindhead, some 15 km away as the crow flies, and was able to call a few people.

          Now, imagine a complete failure of the Grid. At least, with a genny, I could keep the heating going (assuming the gas supply remains). I'm supposedly in line for conversion to Digital Voice. That wipes out the analogue phone network. I know, from having worked on a Reactive Maintenance contract for BT, that even the remotest village telephone exchange had a backup diesel generator. Mobile cell towers? Not so much…

          1. Looks all a bit serious, Geoff.
            We have plenty wood for wood-burner in case of no 'leccy. No diesel will really crimp our style.

          2. I kept several torches fully charged and ready for action last winter. Weren't needed, happily.

            When I moved to Seale in 2005, I had more power cuts than I experienced in the preceding 48 years. Hence, I bought a cheapo Cheinese genny from (then) Focus DIY. As it happens, the wiring centre in the airing cupboard at Glebe Cottage was powered via a 13A plug. So, should the lights go out, yet again, it was easy to fire up the Genny, drop an extension lead from the landing window, and plug the heating into it. I suspect the 'pluggable' nature of the heating system reflected previous tenants' similar problems.

            This mid 70's retirement bungalow has no fireplace. I suppose I could burn wood in the garden. I do have a gas barbie out there, if all else fails…

          7. That's why I bought a generator – just a small one to keep the pump going on the Rayburn. It's also why I've switched to Calor gas for my stove. No electricity required (it does have electronic ignition but I don't use it; I have a refillable gas lighter).

          8. One of the reasons for buying a 60kWh EV is to provide a 12v readily avaiable power supply at up to 20 amps continuously. The greenhouse 12v solar supply is also avaliable with a 60Ah storage battery

          9. Around here almost everyone has a generator and the houses are wired up to use one.
            We have both three and two phase.
            We've had to use it a few times

          10. The only problem with a generator is that it advertises itself with noise, and it has to be kept outside.
            I'm considering getting a deep cycle battery. I watched a video from someone in South Africa, and when the leccy comes on, she immediately plugs in the battery charger.
            But it would only be for relatively small things like phones and computers.
            I have alternatives for cooking, heating and lights.

          11. The "On the Beach" film scene when they discover they've crossed the ocean to find the radio signal they've been monitoring was just the wind blowing through a window and tapping the Morse keys.

          13. I can’t remember if was the same in the book. London perhaps instead of the west coast of the USA.

    3. Baron Gormley died over 30 years ago as I’m sure you know! Anyway we're not short with the current crop of tossers.

    5. And we will be told that we are wicked for expecting the white privilege of having the electricity on 24 hours a day.

  81. Alabama Citizens KICKED OUT Of City Meeting Over Haitian Migrants!

    The Harris/Biden administration are cranking up the flying in of violent Haitians to all the smallsvilles in Alabama.
    Perhaps, Icke was right after all?

    Harris & Biden are genetically modified human–Archon hybrid race of reptilian shape-shifters – the Babylonian Brotherhood, Illuminati or "elite" – manipulate events to keep humans in fear, so that the Archons can feed off the resulting "negative energy".

    They're hardly doing it for compassion.. are they?

  82. Evening, all. I see that the RC Bishop of Shrewsbury has spoken out against assisted dying (i e a legal cull). Not a peep from our lot.

    British security is at risk from the invaders being brought to our shores and housed and treated at our expense.

      1. I don't know how much notice will be taken, but at least he's spoken up. When I saw the headline "Bishop speaks out against assisted dying", I knew it wouldn't be a CofE bishop!

    2. I read Bishop of Shrewsbury, felt hopeful, then saw RC….not one in the Church of England then? Not one?
      It's the same at parish level – they're just ignoring it. Not polite, because people might get emotional.

      1. I think the CofE Bishop of Shrewsbury is a woman. Not, perhaps, quite as woke as the Bishop of Birkenhead (also a woman), but fairly woke, probably. It seems you don’t get on in the church unless you are following the agenda.

      1. Heyup! Yes, thanks. Family service in the morning, lunch out (Kadi had a dog sitter so I didn’t have to take him to church this time), followed by a Victorian Songs of Praise using the BCP (which is what the Victorians would have used). It was SO nice to have proper language (and hymns you could really sing with gusto).

        1. We had John Wesley’s version of evensong with a talk about him afterwards. It was very interesting.

    2. I feel he should be placed in a room with the NtTL Ladies, each of them armed with a nice spiky hat pin.

    3. Assuming, of course, that that is a reasonable translation of what he said (see the Keir spoof below).

      If so nobody would be the least bit surprised, bleedin' savages…..

  84. Yup. He "reprimanded" the diversity hire for Wolverhampton who didn't know the rules of the CofE – I shall make no further comment about DIE.

  85. Another utterly off topic.

    We take these back to the UK as gifts; where they are greatly appreciated.
    Naturally we buy some for ourselves too when we go the the shop hence the recommendation, as we've been gorging this evening.
    Do NOT drive after consumption!
    For anyone who likes fruits in spirits these people produce my favourites.
    If you can get them where you are I can't recommend them highly enough.

    They also produce lots of other delicious treats.
    They are not cheap.

    https://www.clovisreymond.com/

  86. Ukrainian men dragged out of nightclubs by army recruiters. 14 October 2024.

    Ukrainian military recruiters launched targeted raids at local restaurants, shopping centres and a rock concert over the weekend, detaining men and press-ganging them into the army.

    “Get away from me!” one concertgoer shouted at three policemen as they pulled him towards a recruiting desk that had been set up on Friday outside the Place of Sports, where Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy had been playing.

    The man’s face contorted in fear as he strained and pulled against the policemen, video footage showed. Several women filmed the policemen on their smartphones and shouted: “Shame! Shame on you!”

    The end must be close.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/13/young-ukrainians-nightclubs-by-army-recruiters-russian-war/#comment

    1. "Ukrainian men dragged out of nightclubs by army recruiters."

      I wasn't aware that Shanghai was in Ukraine. What do their army want with drunken pissheads and spaced-out cokeheads from a nightclub.

    2. "Ukrainian men dragged out of nightclubs by army recruiters."

      I wasn't aware that Shanghai was in Ukraine. What do their army want with drunken pissheads and spaced-out cokeheads from a nightclub.

    2. Allah derives from the Babylonian moon god, Sin. (Sin is The God, Allah, in the same sense as Zeus and Jupiter.) Quite wrong of course. The moon is Selene and the light of the moon is Artemis, also goddess of the hunt. Bluddy barbarians never get it right.

  91. All these Lefties lauding the new employment laws will be the first to complain when prices go up and will buy foreign goods from countries where workers are treated far worse.

    1. Musk is prepared to make mistakes to get things right faster.

      The antithesis of modern health and safety culture, which actually could cause more harm over a development process than what Musk is doing.

  94. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13954985/Donald-trump-reveal-campaign-issue-kamala-harris-election-2024.html
    A superb BTL piss take on Harris word salads.

    I was raised in a middle class family, where we used Venn Diagrams so we could illustrate and imagine our dreams, hopes and aspirations within the context of the paradigm which is to say that our aspirations, hopes and dreams were realized into the middle class family and this significance has caused us to become unburdened, where before we were burdened by what had been in the context of the paradigm which were illustrated by the Venn diagrams and which is to say we have become unburdened by what we used to imagine. For Today is today and yesterday was today yesterday! And tomorrow will be today tomorrow. So let’s remember that our dreams and hopes were in the context of the paradigm!!

    Classic.

  95. from Coffee House, the Spectator

    Has Britain really entered its ‘first atheist age’?
    Theo Hobson13 October 2024, 7:00am
    Some sociology academics have, after a three-year research project called ‘Exploring Atheism’, unveiled a startling discovery: there are a lot of people in Britain who don’t believe in God. I know, it’s quite a gut-punch.

    They do not quite claim to have found that most Britons are atheists. But they do claim that there are now more atheists than religious believers. By collating various social attitudes surveys from 2008 to 2018 they found a strong upward trend in those saying that they did not believe in God, from 35 per cent to 43 per cent. During this time, believers in God dropped from 42 per cent to 37 per cent. This has led the academics to claim that Britain has now entered its ‘first atheist age’.

    Many of us are complacent, assuming that religion will always be there in our culture as an option
    It’s an inflated claim. For one thing, the Census of England and Wales of 2021 found that 37 per cent said that they have no religion, which suggests that the majority have some sort of religious allegiance. Presenting their findings on 2 October, the authors of the report said this includes allegiance that is more cultural than sincere.

    It is doubtless true-ish that believers in God are now a minority. I say ‘true-ish’ because these things are so vague. My hunch is that there is a large sector, maybe even about half of the population, who are hard to pin down. If pressed, they probably say that they don’t believe in God, and are not religious, but they have respect for religion, and sometimes participate, and are wary of the sort of atheism that is hostile to it.

    As these academics are doubtless privately aware, it’s pretty meaningless to say that Britain has embarked upon an ‘atheist age’, for the meaning of ‘atheism’ is unclear. The strong atheism of Richard Dawkins and co. is a particular modern ideology, a belief that rational humanism can save us. And, rather paradoxically, its hostility to religion is shaped by Protestant reformist zeal: it is a secular version of it. This creed is obviously a minority thing: it had a sort of comeback twenty years ago, in response to 9/11, but it lacks mass appeal.

    As well as totting up the numbers, the Exploring Atheism research project attempts to tackle the question of why some of us believe, and others don’t. With impressive honesty, it admits that it is largely impossible to say. It discounts certain received ideas, for example that believers are less intelligent, less well off, less emotionally stable, more fearful of death. What it does say is that the only sure factor is parental influence. Seeing your parents participating in religion makes it more likely that you will go in that direction. And hearing your parents mock or disparage religion makes it likely that you’ll follow suit. Obvious enough, but still worth reflecting on.

    It’s a healthy reminder to those of us who are religious, or semi-religious. If one doesn’t bother exposing one’s children to religion, they are unlikely ever to know of its dark depths and difficult delights. Letting them decide for themselves means trusting them to the shallow drift of the culture. Too many of us are complacent, assuming that religion will always be there in our culture as an option. We should take responsibility for its continued existence, which takes real cultural effort. In the words of Jonathan Safran Foer, in his novel Here I Am: ‘You only get to keep what you refuse to let go of.’

  96. From Coffee House, the Spectator

    Labour’s poll lead ends after 934 days
    Steerpike13 October 2024, 12:15pm
    Happy 100 days of Labour being in power! To mark this auspicious occasion, the British electorate have decided to give Keir Starmer a present that he really did not want – the end of Labour’s lead in the polls after a whopping 934 days. Yes, that’s right: the Starmer army have led in every single survey since March 2022 when Boris Johnson was gripped by his partygate woes. The subsequent Liz Truss debacle saw Labour’s lead climb to 30 points, with Rishi Sunak regularly suffering 20 point deficits. Yet after less than four months in office, that trend has now been completely reversed. Guess governing is harder than it looks eh Keir…

    The fateful poll by More in Common was conducted earlier this week, in the wake of the party conference season. It found Labour and the Conservatives tied on 27 per cent each, with Reform scoring a strong third with an impressive 21 per cent and the Lib Dems climbing two points to 13 per cent. It is Labour's lowest percentage in any poll since November 2019 – back when Jeremy Corbyn was still leading the party and Keir Starmer was insisting he was his 'friend'. The Prime Minister's own net approval rating has meanwhile fallen a further five points: his net approval now sits at -38, below Rishi Sunak and down 49 points from his post election high. How low can they go in the next 1,726 days?

    As the PM himself said: 'Things will get worse before they get better.'

    1. Below Rishi Sunak is quite an achievement. Mind you, even Rishi wasn't afraid to conduct meetings with foreigners under the eye of Elizabeth I.

  97. My chiropodist says he doesn't believe in God (i e an atheist), but on talking to him, actually, he's an agnostic. He isn't sure.

  98. I am more agnostic than atheist and I suspect that a significant number of those counted as atheists err more towards "I don't know" to those that are certain.

    3. Some years ago, I remember saying that I don't believe, and it was all control bollox, and suddenly a voice in my head said "Is that really what you think?" in a disappointed tone.
      I was bowled over… so, after that, I do believe, but not in some mythical being who fixes everyhting, but lets you get on with it (free will), and will maybe pick you up and soothe scraped knees when you fall.

    4. Interestingly, Albert Einstein believed strongly that science and religion were in no way mutually exclusive and, accordingly, was 'cheerfully agnostic'.

      1. I was raised in a small Yorkshire village, poor housing. Church was magnificent, stained glass windows, vicarage stone built large detached big gardens. No wonder people turned away post WW2. Reading a while ago about Vatican shenanigans to which Pope Francis turns a blind eye (writer Damian Thompson). I support a number of charities, one of is a group of French nuns who ensure no-one within a certain radius of their convent goes hungry. So yes, cheerfully agnostic about right.

          1. Thanks G4..I remember Peta & I used to have similar conversations, so you and I can include her too, I reckon 🙂

    1. The comment was designed to be just that.

      The difference being that the poster knew it was, Harris when speaking such garbage doesn't.

  104. My word our grandchildren keep us both on our toes, especially 'Nanny'. Been with us most of the day. Daddy's been flat out redecorating out side at his home. We've just arrived home after from taking them both home and enjoying a daddy's oven cooked roast beef dinner.
    It's a tough life eh 😇🤣.
    Goodnight all.

  106. Ugh – I've just realised that there may be enough daft Americans to actually vote Harris into office….

    1. Well, there were enough stupid British voters to give Starmer and his fellow travellers office.

        2. Have you watched any footage of the candidates….hmm…Reform has nothing to fear, what I've seen and heard…

      2. Yes, but still only about 34% of the vote (and just 20% of the electorate). I've always supported FPTP against all forms of PR but I think it's now time for a change – witness Reform with 14% of the vote and just 1% of the seats…….

        1. But when the lefties get together how would the Lab / snp / lib dem coalition fare?

          please be quiet about PR, it might give Trudeau ideas about uniting the left against the conservatives.

    2. Not only voters, Stephenroi, the backers will want their pound of flesh. Some think democracy is dying/or even dead, possibly Nov 5 dead cat bounce. Headline earlier 3rd assassination attempt on Trump, seems to have been foiled luckily.

    1. I'm only surprised Sue that the Spaceship wasn't programmed to do a loop the loop just because it could!!!

      1. Tesla. Space X. Starlink. Optimus Robots.

        Should we be worried or just…………………

    2. Blimey. No wonder our total dysfunctional government doesn't want anything to do with Musk.
      He shows them up for the piss poor crappy wankers they are.

    4. A brilliant achievement. I remember the Russians using ICBMs to launch capsules into space when the US were spending fortunes on individual booster rockets.

      1. Hi Mm

        A Spitfire flies regularly over Wareham , comes over from Compton Abbas airfield , Guy Ritchie's new acquisition .

        How amazing air travel/aeronautical engineering/ space travel etc is .. since those early flying days within in our grandparents lifetime !!!!

        Every child loved Dan Dare , we are all fascinated by rockets and things in space, men on the moon , satellites , everything , and now this , a rocket that returns .. when the only thing I ever saw return was a boomerang or a Frisbee ..

        What wonderful times we live in .

  108. I'm signing off now; my Internet keeps dropping out despite my having just paid the bill 🙁 Goodnight, all.

    1. Electric blanket seems to be a magnet for Dolly and Harry. I just wish they didn't snore so loudly !

    2. Me: How can you call this lot a government?
      Alf: I’d like to call them a load of tossers but that would imply they know what they’re doing!

      Great laugh to start the day 🤣🤣🤣

    3. Me: How can you call this lot a government?
      Alf: I’d like to call them a load of tossers but that would imply they know what they’re doing!

      Great laugh to start the day 🤣🤣🤣

  112. Well, chums, it's now 10 pm and I'm off to bed. Good night, sleep well, and I'll see you all tomorrow.

      1. New York Post:
        “Local cops arrested an armed man outside a Donald Trump rally in California Saturday, and the local sheriff has doubled down on claims that a third assassination attempt was prevented – even though he let the suspect walk after posting a meager bail for gun charges.

        “I truly do believe we prevented another assassination attempt,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told reporters Sunday, a day after suspect Vem Miller was arrested at a checkpoint outside Trump’s rally in Coachella Valley.

        Miller, 49, was caught at a police checkpoint allegedly trying to enter the rally with a phony press pass – but when cops noticed his car was unregistered, they searched the vehicle and discovered a cache of fake passports and driver’s licenses, along with a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, officials said.

        He was soon booked on weapons charges, and then sprung after posting $5,000 bail, but the sheriff turned around and told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that his department had all but saved Trump’s life.

        Federal agencies, however, appear to disagree.”

Comments are closed.