Tuesday 14 January: Let’s not rush to declare AI the cure for all the country’s economic ills

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its commenting facility (now reinstated, but we prefer ours),
Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here.

570 thoughts on “Tuesday 14 January: Let’s not rush to declare AI the cure for all the country’s economic ills”

  2. Back to Front
    Good morning Geoff and all NoTTLers. First again?

    One of this morning’s letters to the Telegraph was written by Esra Traf. As I love anagrams and word plays I immediately noticed what he had done in creating his nom de plume.

    A very good friend, a highly educated man now deceased, lived close to a house called Llamedos, but had never realised that, just like Llareggub in Under Milk Wood, it was simply another name spelled backwards.

    EDIT: It was not a letter, rather a Below The Line commenter.

    1. How on earth did that get past the Letters Editor? Which Orlando or Ophelia is doing the job now?

      1. BB2, you gotta have sharp eyes and a twisted mind. Reminds me of Roald Dahl's Esio Trot.

        1. If you are the type of person who enjoys cryptic crosswords and wordplay, it leaps out of the page!

          I blame dumbing down in schools and multi-culturalism! When any of us were children, that name would have been spotted in an instant, but nowadays names that don't make any sense to British people are ten a penny in our once great country.

          1. BB2, when I was a child in the 1940s I would never have heard the 'backword' original of Esra, much less known how to spell it.

          2. A gentleman called Esra Toft was a well known Cromford resident. He died some years back in his 80s.

          3. Very true! It certainly wasn’t in common currency, though I was aware of it after I went to school.

          4. BB2, when I was a child in the 1940s I would never have heard the 'backword' original of Esra, much less known how to spell it.

    2. This morning, the NYT would not allow the perfectly respectable word 'Farty', as once used to describe the hotel's towels in the opening credits of the 1970s sitcom.

  4. Good morning, chums. And thanks, Geoff, for Tuesday's new NoTTLe page.

    Wordle 1,305 3/6

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    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      you were much quicker than I was with Wordle!
      Wordle 1,305 5/6

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      1. We all have good days and bad days, BB2. As Churchill used to say, KBO (Keep Buggering On). Lol.

  8. 'Morning All
    My little break has done me the world of good no MSM and no tv other than the Docu on Crete recommended by Willum I've spent my time rereading a few novels by Nevil Shute which caused a few sharp intakes of breath when I look at our current world……..
    Talking of our current world I've flicked over the last few days NoTTL and wow I've never seen such anger nay rage expressed here before we really are fed up aren't we
    Medley Time
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94bcef187e20eb2c26155b7cc257c9f7641014c6b2565cf18a7284f0401ee1fa.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d759983b07c58e1b1ed394e685d76aa4650a0d34045e9c9605c7695647202e5.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6e9ca8cb2069f59a8e4dcc58412ffa1b36f27496bb9af52606d51f83315083df.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d51203379ddbda36fd48f2163f9d569c2597643e76f50bf01cac2410a116fe8d.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a050b7ebeaa346a6c94e3b4129992e7b821ca26e70a52f643e0c70722d4db754.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93d522c162d586d7c3e7bffea212bd8f6950ce02e0402f496527f120dd1693d9.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/90a8bf98a18437c40d10184bceb7d4aa7f84d1ae3765f5c2c481defe33ff6000.png
    Finally someone else likes meme collections (do scroll down)
    https://x.com/libertycappy/status/1879012451103953314?s=61

    1. Used to read a lot of Nevil Shute when I was younger. Maybe I should look them out again.

    2. Morning Rik. I read Trustee from the Toolroom last week. Integrity. Duty. The obligation to do right. Depressingly virtues now almost extinct.

        1. Don't want to spoil it for you Ndovu in case you decide to read it again, but (spoiler) the last two words are: THE END. Lol.

    1. Iceberg; very suitable.
      A tasteless hybrid produced to show a trace of greenery.
      A robot lettuce.

      1. Iceberg lettuce gets a bad press.
        It is useful in a salad to create structure and texture.

        Which means iceberg lettuce is of more use than the chancellor.

  11. King to become first British monarch to visit Auschwitz. 14 January 2025.

    The King will become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz when he marks the “important” 80th anniversary of its liberation later this month.

    The monarch will join heads of state, presidents and prime ministers from around the globe for a poignant remembrance ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland on Jan 27.

    Hardly an encomium. There have only been two British Monarchs since the end of WWII.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/01/13/king-to-become-first-british-monarch-to-visit-auschwitz/

    2. Three including Charles.Maybe inappropriate for his grandfather to visit but it is surprising the late Queen never went

    3. Visited with Firstborn's school class a long time ago.
      It's quite a place. I can recommend you go, if you can. Not comfortable at all, but then, we need reminded what kinds of shit people do to each other, whether it's paedos with tiny children or people hating the Jews. We need reminded of evil, so we can root it out and defeat it wherever we find it.

      1. The scent of fried onions and the sight of people chowing down on burgers really got to me.
        The self-centred behaviour was all too symbolic of what had happened to the west since 1945.
        Absolutely no empathy at all.

        1. There was none of that when we were there. Just a light mist. And a powerful sense of sadness.
          The saddest exhibit was a case of poor, broken shoes; split and worn out. Next – the suitcases with the owners name painted on. Made it all personal, that.

          3. Amongst the case of brushes, is a crumb brush exactly like the one we inherited from the late Auntie Agnes.
            Presumably the Jewish mother who packed that really believed family life would continue as it had in Berlin or Cracow.

          4. That’s one of the saddest comments I’ve seen, Anne. You’re right: one can see her doing it now. God rest her and her family.

    4. Three actually – George VI, Elizabeth II and Charles III.

      I went there in 2022 as a cheery break from the dentist.

      I was somewhat wary of the 'Exit' sign, and felt quite uncomfortable with the uniformed guides. I think everyone had their thoughts.

      I was struck that as many ethnic Poles as Jews were processed there, but the thing that really bothered me were the images of the guards, happy in their work, who felt they were doing the world a favour.

      Given the brutality of the place, I had to chuckle when they would let me after they found me with a little Swiss penknife. They thought it might give me ideas. I had to pay five zloty for a locker, and there it sat, a tiny red thing 3 inches long sitting in solitary in this huge locker for the duration.

      It's not the first extermination camp in Poland I have visited. I went to Majdanek in 1979. Then, what hit me was actually in the town. There was a hairdresser on the street touting for trade, and in his shop row upon row of ponytails, cut off his customers. Then I saw the same thing in Majdanek.

      There was a huge mound of earth, twenty foot high, made from the ashes from the camp crematorium.

      Then the records of arrivals. Imagine a conscientious Kommandant, aspiring to be civilised, humane as well as efficient. His camp could contain 5000 people in reasonable conditions. The first day, 5000 arrive by train. No problem. The next day another 5000 – a bit of a squeeze, but a bit of doubling up in the cells and it was manageable. The next day – another 5000…

      After a couple of weeks of this, it becomes impossible to manage without clearing a bit of room. Unlike today's Labour Government, he couldn't just release all these undesirables into the community. What does he do with them all? …and still they keep coming day after relentless day.

      1. I recommend ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl for those wishing to understand the struggle for survival and means by which Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, gave hope to other victims.

  13. Morning, all Y'all.
    Temperature rose by about 15C overnight, so now it's very foggy with the warm air over the cold ground. Oh, well – and it's still dark.

  14. Ahem
    All by design……
    Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned that Britain’s multibillion-pound chemicals industry is facing “extinction” because of soaring energy costs and the shift to net zero.

    Ineos last week shut down a synthetic ethanol centre at Grangemouth in Falkirk, Scotland, resulting in the loss of 80 direct roles and an estimated 500 indirect jobs in the wider economy.

    Sir Jim, the co-owner of Manchester United and one of Britain’s richest men, said: “De-industrialising Britain achieves nothing for the environment. It merely shifts production and emissions elsewhere.

    “The UK, and particularly the North, needs high quality manufacturing and the associated manufacturing jobs. We are witnessing the extinction of one of our major industries as chemical manufacture has the life squeezed out of it.”

    1. "De-industrialising Britain achieves nothing for the environment. It merely shifts production and emissions elsewhere"

      1. Exactly so – this is basic common sense, which is presumably why the cretins in government can't understand it!

    2. In fact, what is happening is actually making things worse for the planet, because those other countries' pollution is almost certain to be much, much worse than Britain's for the same manufactured output..

    1. That went well, didn't it. Interfere in someone else's democracy, eh? Hope The Donald expresses his displeasure.

    2. When 'Russia' interferes with an election it's a heinous crime (not that they ever do) but when Labour do it i's OK.

      Ah, Lefty hypocrisy.

  16. Good morning all.
    A somewhat less cold start to the day with a whole 6°C on the thermometer. Yesterdays Max & Min are 6.4° and 1.5°C respectively.
    Still dark with little wind though but at least it's staying dry.

    2. Could that be partly because the US blatantly stole German industry?
      After the destruction of NS2, they offered financial incentives to companies to move from expensive energy Germany to cheap energy US. BASF moved a giant plant with many thousands of jobs, iirc.

      1. Germany was forced to fund Italy with cash, which Italy was then told to use to buy German goods. No new money was created, it was just a circular transfer of money. Alongside that, acres of legislation was introduced to make sure neither Italy nor Germany grew and could change their economies to more efficient ones.

        Markets were suppressed in favour of socialism. Everyone got poorer. The Eurocrats didn't care. They were getting richer and had more power and control than ever. That was the point.

    1. Have some of ours.

      It's -7°C here, with the wind-chill making it feel like -9.

      On the plus side, there's a clear blue sky and it's sunny.

    1. If it does nothing else, it certainly underlines the fact that the gangs are predominantly Muslim.

      If I was Chinese, Japanese, Non Muslim Indian or Non Muslim anything else Asian, I would be mightily pissed off to be caught up in Islam's perversion of the truth.

      1. They have had many centuries of practicing perversion of the truth.
        And it took more than 300 years to get them out of Spain and it seems that they are starting to creep back again.

      1. Oxford, Newcastle, Manchester, and Calderdale councils are expected to back a report claiming the phrase perpetuates harmful stereotypes

      1. Do I need to start baking a cake with a file in it?
        Given the price of petrol, I hope your gaol is fairly local.

    4. It is Islamophobic.
      Claiming it's Asian grooming gangs means credit (/sarc) is not being given where it's due.

      These gangs are predominantly Paki-Bangla Muslim.
      That's not a phobia, it's the truth.

      1. 400157+ up ticks,

        Morning S,

        Your post herards the truth with trumpets , sirens, a bloody blaring .

        muslim nonces has been branded into our society BIG TIME.

      2. But if you stop people talking about the truth you control the narrative. You control how people are permitted to think.

    5. All references to: Paki. Muslim. Rape. Kebab shop. White trash. Grooming gangs. Benefits. Money laundering. Drugs. Muhammad.
      are Islamophobic.. FACT.

      Prosecutor John Elvidge QC informed the jury that kebab shop worker & heroin dealer Jahangir Zaman originally from Pakistan said, "All white women are only good for one thing. "For men like me to f*** and use like trash. That's all women like you are worth."

      Almost A Full House!

        1. GCSE Sociology Question:

          Rate the following terms in order of their offensiveness:

          Spades, wogs, darkies, negros, niggers, jungle bunnies, coons, sambos, nignogs.

    6. All references to: Paki. Muslim. Rape. Kebab shop. White trash. Grooming gangs. Benefits. Money laundering. Drugs. Muhammad.
      are Islamophobic.. FACT.

      Prosecutor John Elvidge QC informed the jury that kebab shop worker & heroin dealer Jahangir Zaman originally from Pakistan said, "All white women are only good for one thing. "For men like me to f*** and use like trash. That's all women like you are worth."

      Almost A Full House!

    7. All references to: Paki. Muslim. Rape. Kebab shop. White trash. Grooming gangs. Benefits. Money laundering. Drugs. Muhammad.
      are Islamophobic.. FACT.

      Prosecutor John Elvidge QC informed the jury that kebab shop worker & heroin dealer Jahangir Zaman originally from Pakistan said, "All white women are only good for one thing. "For men like me to f*** and use like trash. That's all women like you are worth."

      Almost A Full House!

    13. Isn't it ironic that they seek to ban a phrase that the Leftwaffe adopted as being less offensive (to them) than Pakistani/Bangladeshi muslim rape gangs? Perhaps we should stick to cold hard facts, including the fact that there is no such thing as islamophobia. However, I suggest that will still cause outrage in the 7th century death cult.

      1. It is all about controlling what is said. The main goal will be to force a broader consideration and then say 'it's all white people's fault'.

    1. Difficult to be certain, 2008 was the year of the crash and Britain was hit hard, but I suspect at least 15% possibly more.

  28. G'day all,
    A bright start to things at Castle McPhee and it should be a nice day. Wind in the Sou'-West and milder at 4℃ going up to 9℃.

    Here's an interesting video for y'all on the Titanic/Olympic switcheroo, J P Morgan, the White Star Line, Harland & Wolf and the Federal Reserve. Enjoy, folks.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJKbV-QeG0w&t=1787s

  29. Good Morning!

    Today FSB has two articles, THE COUNTER REVOLUTION : The International Agenda by Mark Shaw, argues that it is important to understand that the troubles, degeneration, depravity, hate and racism introduced into our country over the last 60 years have not happened accidentally, but have been the result of a carefully co-ordinated campaign. Please read, comment and vote in the poll at the end to let us know if you agree. At the time of writing, most do.

    Our other article is for music and culture lovers, Mozart or Verdi? , sets out the relative merits of these famous composers. Let us know which is most pleasing to you.

    Energy watch 07.30. Demand: 43.346GW. Supply: Hydrocarbons 44.5%; Wind 32.6%; Imports 4.8%; Biomass 5.6% and Nuclear 9.8%

    Today we are importing power from Norway and Denmark, while exporting it to France, Belgium, Ireland and – classed as foreign for some reason – Northern Ireland.

    freespeechbacklash.com

      1. I thought you were going to say "…but which one is better? There's only one way to find out – FIGHT!!!"

  30. I know people get sniffy over the DT's 'light relief' letters, but I am enjoying the children's thank you letter … letters.
    They remind me of the shamelessly self-centred behaviour of Spartie when we are eating. Suddenly we become the most fascinating and gorgeous creatures on the planet. We even top his favourite lamb shank bone.

    "SIR – When our daughter was young she received a monetary Christmas gift from a family friend and wrote to him: “Many thanks for the money you sent for Christmas” (Letters, January 13).

    Encouraged to expand, she added: “My birthday is on March 29”."

    1. I'm going to start a paper with no light-hearted letters, no punning headlines, no gratuitous pictures of attractive women. I need finance – form an orderly queue.

      1. 🙂
        I think there used to be a newspaper dedicated to reporting only good news.
        I can't remember if it made it to its first birthday.

    3. I have a nest of relatives who got the short straw when it came to proximity of birthdays to Christmas – two nephews on 27th and 31st December, a grand-nephew on 11th January and a niece on 12th January. Their letters would have to catch the Christmas post.

      People talk about turkeys then, but who'd be a kid (every one a Capricorn)?

      1. Easy to conceive why in March and April people's minds turn to procreation?

        On my Nottlers' list January is the month with the most Nottler birthdays – 10.

        Which reminds me: please let me know if you wish to be added to the list.

    4. We send out similar round-robin letters telling people the dates of our upcoming residential French courses!

  31. Irony Alert..

    Leftie Tony Blair's US-UK Extradition Treaty without requirement for prima facie evidence.. coming back to bite Starmer and his Labour activists that campaigned for Harris.

    Also, it is standard practice for officials & military to register as foreign agents for appropriate visa. Did they?

  32. Good morning all,

    There was a beautiful red sky earlier , now blue , and some big clouds , rain not expected though . 5c.. a bit brrr.

    Moh has taken my car to be given the once over .. first car I have ever had that says on the dashboard it needs a service and that I was 100 miles overdue .. isn't that clever . Is that called artificial intelligence?

    Moh will hopefully return with a courtesy car.

    If Starmer goes down the route of AI.. does that mean less jobs , less everything including less taxpayers , just people staying at home getting fatter and fatter ?

    1. Let's face up to it all TB, Starmer and his mob don't have a clue. The wrecking ball is swinging wildly.

    2. I work with the same process for servive, Belle, but for offshore oil production platforms. We're just building the first that will operate on the same principle.

    3. Less jobs but more energy required. Will the Milliband 'Climate Change Act 2008', gold plated by Saggy May, drive AI abroad? Microsoft are reopening Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to provide the energy required for their AI centre. Which nuclear power plant is #TwoTierKeir going to utilise to support his AI plans, and will this reduce power supply to the domestic consumers?

  33. Oh come on Maggie!
    5°C is a lot less "brrr" compared to the -5 ° we've had over the weekend!!!

      1. If AI is as good as claimed, surely it will refuse to work under Starmer and his crew of the utterly useless, knowing full well that it would be better off outside the UK!

        1. Current AI is simply a clever search engine. It's given data and told to present it in a certain way.

          That's not AI, really. True Ai wouldn't reply, it would say 'what're you trying to do?' and provide real context. Any computer can make a thousand data point decisions all at once. It's applying context to make a decision that matters.

      2. Starmer just doesn't know how to talk to people. He can't communicate. He has no gravitas, no charm. Maybe he's a robot?

          1. Were his children conceived as a result of what used to be called AI?

            AI used to stand for Artificial Insemination – but Starmer may have got his acronyms in a twist as he is so robotic!

  35. Morning all 🙂😊
    Light grey sun possible sooner rather than later. 4 degs at the moment. Come on sunshine 🌝. We need cheering up.
    If it's possible to avoid AI in anyway I'm up for it.

    1. We don't really have AI. We have glorified search engines. True AI is something completely different.

    2. Poor fellow. He was frightened and wanted food. Surely would have been easier to just give him food to coax him out rather than dragging by a leg, which hurts and further stresses?

      1. I hope the guy with the broom was wearing bite-proof gloves under his normal ones.
        For 12 years as an experimental pathologist I worked with laboratory rats, mice, monkeys and guinea pigs. The only time I needed to wear chain mail gloves was handling mice, as they have loose skin and can turn around and bite you even if you're holding them tight. Rats are much friendlier and purr if you stroke them under the chin.

  41. 400157+up ticks,

    I seriously think this time has past due to the tribal, family tree,
    supremely dangerous voting pattern, but never say dei.

    The Beginnings

    The Kipling Society
    https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk › poems_beginnings
    No man spoke it aloud, When the English began to hate. It was not suddenly bred, It will not swiftly abate, Through the chill years ahead, When Time shall count ..

    2. The Beginnings

      It was not part of their blood,
      It came to them very late
      With long arrears to make good,
      When the English began to hate.

      They were not easily moved,
      They were icy-willing to wait
      Till every count should be proved,
      Ere the English began to hate.

      Their voices were even and low,
      Their eyes were level and straight.
      There was neither sign nor show,
      When the English began to hate.

      It was not preached to the crowd,
      It was not taught by the State.
      No man spoke it aloud,
      When the English began to hate.

      It was not suddenly bred,
      It will not swiftly abate,
      Through the chill years ahead,
      When Time shall count from the date
      That the English began to hate.

  42. An interesting perspective:

    Peter Ford served in the UK Foreign Ministry for many years including being UK Ambassador to Bahrain (1999-2003) and then Syria (2003-2006). Following that, he was representative to the Arab world for the Commissioner General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency. He was interviewed by Rick Stering on Jan 6, 2025.

    RS: Why do you think the Syrian military and government collapsed so rapidly?

    Peter Ford: Everybody was surprised but with hindsight, we shouldn’t have been. Over more than a decade, the Syrian army had been hollowed out by the extremely dire economic situation in Syria, mainly caused by western sanctions. Syria only had a few hours of electricity a day, no money to buy weapons and no ability to use the international banking system to buy anything whatsoever. It’s no surprise that the Army was run down. With hindsight, you might say the surprise is that the Syrian government and Army were successful in driving back the Islamists. The Syrian Army forced them into the redoubt of Idlib four or five years ago. But after that point, the Syrian army deteriorated, became less battle ready on the technical level and also morale.
    Syrian soldiers are mainly conscripts and they suffer as much as any ordinary Syrian from the really dreadful economic situation in Syria. I hesitate to admit it, but the Western sanctions were extremely effectively in doing what they were designed to do: to bring the Syrian economy down to its knees. So we have to say, and I say this with deep regret, the sanctions worked. The sanctions did exactly what they were designed to do to make the Syrian people suffer, and thereby to bring about discontent with what they call the regime.

    Ordinary Syrians didn’t understand the complexities of geopolitics, and they blamed the Syrian government for everything: not having electricity, not having food, not having gas, oil, high inflation. Everything that came from being cut off from the world economy and not having supporters with bottomless pockets.
    Syria was being attacked and occupied by major military powers (Turkey, USA, Israel). Plus thousands of foreign jihadis. The Syrian army was so demoralized that they really were a paper tiger by the end of the day.

    RS: Do you think the UK and the US were involved in training the jihadis prior to the December attack on Aleppo?

    Peter Ford: Absolutely. The Israelis also. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), Ahmed Hussein al Sharaa (formerly known as Mohammad abu Jolani) almost certainly has British advisors in the background. In fact, I detected the hand of such advisors in some of the statements made in impeccable English. The statements had Americanized spelling, so the CIA are in there too. Jolani is a puppet, a marionette saying what they want him to say.

    RS: What’s is the current situation, a month after the collapse?

    Peter Ford: There are skirmishes here and there, but broadly, the Islamists and foreign fighters are ruling the roost. There are pockets of resistance in Latakia where the Alawite are literally fighting for their lives. Much of the fighting is about the attempts by HTS, the present rulers to confiscate weapons.The Alawites are resisting and there are pockets of resistance in the South where there are local Druze militias.

    HTS is spread thinly on the ground. They are facing problems in asserting themselves. Although they had a walkover against the Syrian army, they never actually had to do much fighting. I would guess they only have about 30,000 fighting men and spread across Syria, that is not a lot. There’s an important pocket of resistance in the Northeast where the Kurds are. The Kurdish American allies are resisting. The so-called Syrian National Army, which is a front for the Turkish army, may go into a fully fledged war against the Kurdish forces. But that’s going to depend partly on what happens after the inauguration of the new US president, how Trump deals with the situation.

    RS: What are you hearing from people in Syria?

    Peter Ford: It is not a pretty story. HTS and their allies have been parading showing their dominance, flying ISIS and Al-Qaeda flags. They have been bullying, intimidating, confiscating and looting. Surrendering Christian as well as Alawite soldiers have been given summary justice, roadside executions being the norm. Christians in their towns and villages are just trying to hunker down and pray. Literally. I’m sorry to say the senior Christian clerics, with one or two noble exceptions, have opted for appeasement and effectively betrayed their communities. The senior leadership at the Orthodox Church, in particular Greek Catholic church, have had themselves photographed with dignitaries of the jihadi regime.

    They are turning the other cheek. It’s quite a contrast with the Alawite. But they have no choice. You may remember that the slogan of the jihadi armies during the conflict was, “Christians to Beirut, Alawite to the grave.” HTS is going through the motions of having meetings with clerics and making soothing noises. All the while their henchmen are driving around in trucks flying ISIS flags. What I’m hearing is very depressing.

    The regime is leaving the Alawites totally abandoned. You barely read a word in the west in media about the plight of the Alawite and not much more about the Christians.

    RS: Western media have demonized Bashar al Assad and even Asma Assad. What was your impression of Bashar and Asma when you met them? What do you think of accusations they accumulated billions of dollars?

    Peter Ford: The accusations are completely spurious. I know some members of the Assad family, some of them have lived for many years in Britain. They lived in very modest personal circumstances. If Assad had been a billionaire, like they’re saying, some of that would’ve trickled down. I can guarantee you that has not been the case. These accusations also go against the impressions that I picked up when I was seeing the Assads when I was an ambassador there. They appreciated the good things of life the same as everybody else, but they didn’t come across as the (Ferdinand & Imelda) Marcos-type. Nothing at all like that. It is all lies, made up to serve the deeper agenda.

    The media kicking of Bashar and Asma is really distasteful. It’s pointless. He’s disappointed his few remaining followers, although it was unrealistic, I believe, for them to expect more. But the fact is that he ran when others were not able to run, and many of those have been killed, or they’re hiding or they’ve escaped to Lebanon in some cases where they’re also hiding. He did get out with his skin, but to beat up on him as the media are doing is really distasteful and pointless. It is akin to this new genre of political pornography, Assad porn, the torture stories, the hyped up narrative about prison and graves being opened up. Actually, by the way, most of those graves are war dead. They were not people who’d been tortured to death as the media pretends. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the conflict over more than a decade, and many of them were buried in unmarked graves. But the western media are reveling in this new genre of Assad porn.

    This is all being whipped up to make Western audiences more accepting of the way the West is getting into bed with Al-Qaeda. The more they demonize Assad and harp on the misdeeds of the Assad regime, and the more likely we are to swallow and be distracted away from the hideous atrocities being carried out right now.

    Western leaders are kissing the feet of a guy who’s still a wanted terrorist and who has been a founder member of ISIS for God’s sake, as well as a founder member of Al-Qaeda in Syria. It is morally distasteful and shaming.

    Jolani needs the west desperately now. Otherwise, he will face the same fate as Bashar Assad. If the economy continues on its trajectory of the years, then Jolani will be dead meat in fairly short order. He has to deliver massive rapid economic improvement to survive as leader. And this is what it’s all about. His strategy, obviously, is to milk his status as a puppet of the West in order to secure not just reconstruction aid, but that’s for the long term, but more immediately sanctions relief, the electricity flowing again, the oil.

    Let’s not forget that the oil and gas of Syria is still effectively in the hands of the United States, which through its Kurdish puppets, controls a segment of the economy, which used to be worth, I think, 20% of serious GDP and provide essential oil for fuel, cooking, everything. He’s got to get his hands on that and get sanctions lifted. That’s what so much of it is about. But he has one major problem: Israel. Israel’s not buying it. Israel is the exception. All the western front is tumbling over itself to go and kiss the feet of the sultan of Damascus. But the Israelis are sucking their teeth, saying they don’t trust the guy.

    Israel is destroying the remnants of the Syrian army and its infrastructure. Meanwhile they grab more Syrian land. They want to keep Syria on its knees indefinitely by insisting that Western sanctions not be lifted. I sense there’s a battle royal going on in Washington between what we might call the deep state, which would favor lifting sanctions and the Israel lobby, which is resisting that for selfish Israeli reasons. Given that the Israeli lobby wins these tussles nine times out of 10 , the outlook may not be that great for the Jolani regime.

    RS: What are your hopes and fears for Syria? What’s the nightmare scenario and what’s the best possible?

    Peter Ford: I’m very pessimistic. It is very hard to see a silver lining in what has happened. Syria has been taken off the table as a Middle East player. The old Syria has died effectively. Syria was the last man standing among the Arab countries that supported the Palestinians. There was no other. There were militias like Hezbollah plus Yemen but there were no states other than Syria. Syria is now gone, and the jihadis are saying, telling the world they don’t care. By the way, this is an example of how the Israelis will not take yes for an answer. The jihadis keep telling the world, “We love Israel. We don’t care about the Palestinians. Please accept us. We love you.” And the Israelis won’t take yes for an answer.

    The best hope for the Syrian people is that they may get some respite. It is possible to imagine a scenario where the Syrian people are able to recover, at least economically a scenario under which sanctions are lifted, under which Syria, the central government recovers control of its oil and grain, where fighting has stopped, where it doesn’t have to pay anything to keep up an army because it’s not trying. They might be able to put everything into reconstruction.

    So it is possible to imagine a scenario where Syria loses its soul, but gains more hours of electricity. That is possibly the most likely scenario. But there are major obstacles as we discussed, Israel standing in the way of sanctions, lifting pockets of resistance in discipline among the jihadi ranks, Turkey rampaging against the Kurds and ISIS which is still not a completely spent force. So the outlook is obviously cloudy. We should take stock in a month’s time when we see the early days of the new regime in Washington on which so much will depend.

    RS: In Trump’s first term he tried to remove all US troops from east Syria but his efforts were ignored. Perhaps that could have made a big difference?

    Peter Ford: Yes, it could have been a total game changer. If Syria had access to its oil, it wouldn’t have had the fuel problem, the electricity problem. It could have changed the history of the region.

    Now, the US is increasing the number of soldiers and bases in Syria. And they recently assassinated a ISIS leader which might have played a role in sparking the recent terrorist attack in the US. All of this makes it much harder now for Trump to withdraw US forces because it will seen as a retreat, a reward for ISIS.

    I argued for years that the sanctions were manifestly not working. But in the end they did. It’s like a bridge. It gets undermined and then suddenly it breaks. There was no single cause. It was just the culmination and things reached a tipping point.

    10,10159

    2. Vlad did his best to save the ordinary Syrian people but alas it proved insufficient.

  43. 400157 + up ticks,

    " Grooming gangs" only makes sense when applied to a towns
    quota of foreign barbers AKA ( potential money launders) and SHOULD NOT be used to describe murderous, torturous in the main pakistani raping abusing elements.

    These misleading descriptions are currently open to governmental punishment and could lead to some overseeing officials being incarcerated.

    Observation,
    Surely that pig is to heavy to fly.

    1. 400157+ up tick

      O2O,
      Make MUSK a 100% honorable Englishman allowing his political input to be heard on account his grannie was a scouser.

      Fatso johnson was assembled in the USA was he not ?

  46. Just found a tenner in a cash machine. 'Tis mine, 'twas his, it shall be slave to a thousand others.

    1. If the bank is open take it in and return it. If at a shop, take it to them.

      Yes, I know, it's probably silly but still.

          1. £10 notes are pretty untraceable. I found one once blown into the garden. You can tell it was a long time ago because I bought three tee shirts with it!

          2. Crossing a road to the hotel near the concert hall on a wet day in Glasgow I noticed a bit of brightly coloured paper on the ground, stooped down, picked it up and found it was a £20 Clydesdale bank note.
            No chance of identifying the owner, so it got paid into my building society account.

  47. 400157+ up ticks,

    Nothing about the continuation of the illegal invasion being passed party to party as in operating in a lab/lib/con coalition fashion then ?

    Dt,
    Badenoch blames grooming gangs abuse on people from ‘peasant backgrounds’
    Tory leader says where perpetrators come from and ‘culture of silence’ surrounding scandal are ‘issues’ to investigate

    May one ask,
    How about our home grown kiddie fiddling dabblers then say for one BIG CYRIL MP, deprived upbringing,I don't think so.

  48. There are a lot of incorrect assumptions about Artificial Intelligence. It will never do anything for Starmer or the Government; AI does not create answers, the answer to a posed question needs to exist already. The problem is neither Starmer nor any of his Government have any answers, in fact they don't even know what questions to ask.

    1. The answers are well known. What they want is to be told that their doing the wrong thing is the right thing.

    2. Nail on the head! How can the #KeirmerRouge understand the answer if they can't understand the question? AI like any other computer based application is just a tool. Unfortunately, Westminster/Whitehall is festooned with PPE graduates, but sparsely populated with original thinkers and/or those who can think outside the silo.

    3. Isn't it just a faster way to research and contact people?
      Like replacing stagecoaches with the railways.

  50. OT – in case you wonder why there are shooting stars about today, my beloved grand-daughter has – in the last ten minutes – received an unconditional offer from Oxford University.

    We are still reeling from the news!!!

    1. Very well done her.
      Many congratulations.

      Years and years ago I received my unconditional offer from Cambridge on Christmas Eve.
      Best Christmas present ever.

      1. Thank you. Her interview (online – ugh) was four weeks ago. The poor youngsters have to wait four weeks.

        Her late father would have been astounded!

        1. We had the interviews, I recall we then took the entrance exams in October and the offers were sent after the assessment of the examinations.

        2. One of the great disappointments of my life. Not even a sniff from secret services despite reading Russian at Cambridge. 🙄 I think I would have made a super Mata Hari! 🤣🤣

          2. Russian and French here too, but Oxbridge had a strange ballot system at the time for studying in Russia, and I missed out.

            Not really complaining; a lot of friends were in Kiev when Chernobyl went up…

          3. Well done! When I was there you got a half-Blue for the 'lesser' sports like Athletics (surprisingly! and, I'm assuming, Modern Pentathlon) and only upgraded to a full Blue if you beat your Cambridge counterparts. I know this as a mate of mine competed in the 800m in the Varsity match and only beat one of the Cambridge lads – he was gutted!
            I played a number of times for the University Rugby team but never really got near the Varsity match – the Oxford team was peppered with internationals – my direct competitor (I was playing back row at the time) captained South Africa against the British Lions!! (Dugald Macdonald). I was 19…….
            Going back to the Modern Pentathlon I was a huge fan of Jim Fox, what a star – I think he died quite recently…

            PS I'm assuming given your Pentathlon credentials your Athletics involvement was at 1500 or 5000m?

          4. Longer sprints, 200 & 400 at running and shorter sprints 50 and 100 swimming.

            I was just average at longer distances.

            I should have done swimming but had become totally disenchanted with all the necessary training and gave up in my gap year.
            My second string at school, when I was 15 and he was 18, went on to be Oxford Swimming captain..

    4. Bill, that's terrific news.
      We were on a trip to in Moscow in 1989 when my elder son got his offer for Cambridge. Then his younger brother (who we thought of as less smart) was accepted for Cambridge 3 years later, beat his brother by getting a First and then finished a PhD in under 3 years. It's a wonderful feeling and you SHOULD be bragging about it.

    5. Wonderful news, Bill! Congratulations on her stunning achievement! Obviously in the genes….!

      1. Frankly NOT! That is what is so amazing! It’s all her own unaided work and determination.

        3. Bicycle Thieves
          In 1993 we went to attend my elder son's Graduation after 4 years at Cambridge. It was his last day there, but when we went to unlock and collect his bike and hang it on the back of the car to take home, we noticed that the wheels had been stolen.

          For form's sake we reported it to the Police (fat chance). Then when we were back home we went out and bought the mankiest (but usable) bicycle for use by his younger Brother, who was off to start his 6 years at Cambridge that October. That one stayed the course.

          So Bill, whatever you do, DON'T buy her a spanking new bike. But DO buy the best Bike-Lock(s) you can afford.

          EDIT: The younger son is an accomplished Unicyclist and Juggler (including both together). When Cambridge banned bicyclists in the City Centre, he was unicycling along when he was stopped by the Plod. He said "I'm not riding a bicycle", but they still told him to stop.

    10. Excellent news, well done.
      Now, you need to ensure that she is well prepared to recognise Left Wing Academic Bullshite and able to counter it.

    11. Many congratulations to her.
      Oxford's a jungle – it will be survival of the fittest, now with added DIE.
      Expect zero help, useful teaching or support from the academics – they're there for their own careers and undergraduates are a barely tolerated even preyed upon nuisance.
      The syllabus of her course will probably be old-fashioned and irrelevant. No criticism of anything Oxfordian, or suggestion that things might be done better at other universities will ever be tolerated.
      Find out IN THE FIRST TERM how finals and prelims/first exams will be marked. For example, some courses used to mark using marks squared. This means, if you have to do five questions and each question has a maximum of 20 points, you are better off getting 20/20 on one question than 4/20 on five questions.
      She should get hold of as many past papers as she can, and compare them to see which topics come up every year and which ones you can safely ignore. Traditionally, men do better in Finals because they tend to focus on the subjects that interest them and give really good answers to fewer questions, whereas women tend to do the conscientious girl thing and revise the whole syllabus. Nobody can revise the whole syllabus because it's too big, so they end up getting mediocre marks. Having said that, there is no way that Oxford can be doing DIE and maintaining the high standards of yore, so it may be easier these days.
      Ordering books over the internet will be her best friend – unlike pre-internet days when your tutor would set an out of print book with one copy in the college library for the next tutorial, and Blackwells would gape at you and offer to get hold of it within three weeks.
      Expect zero health support from the college medical staff – this one's important if you have any serious medical problems.
      She will need more evening clothes than she realises.
      She should try to make time to visit not just the Ashmolean but the Cast Gallery to draw from Victorian reproductions of classical figures.
      With a Bodleian library ticket, you used to be able to get an Ashmolean library ticket that enabled you to ask for drawings from their archives to copy. I copied directly from Michaelangelo and Degas drawings as an art student. Don't know if that's still possible.
      Also go ice skating at least once, not just at the ice rink but on Port Meadow when it freezes – it's totally safe as it's only about a foot deep.
      Join the Union and go and listen to famous speakers.
      Visit Arcadia, it's an Oxford institution.
      Try not to spend too much money at the expensive delikatessens but do eat at Browns.
      Avoid Ruskin college men, they're mostly out to sleep with as many female undergraduates as possible.
      Pimms is much stronger than you think and the cough mixture taste lulls you into a false sense of security, so decide beforehand to stick to one drink.
      Oh, and it's rubbish for husband hunting. They're mostly dorks who take their bicycle to the repair shop when it gets a puncture. David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt, Damian Hinds, Simon Hoare, Simon Stevens, Michael Gove, Octavius Black, Boris Johnson are pretty typical. Oxford doesn't select men with post-apocalyptic warlord potential.
      Oxford is far more intense that other universities because the terms are so short. She'll need all her wits to survive it.

      1. Gosh – glad I never went to university! I'll wait a day or so before letting her have the gist of this!!

    12. Outstanding!! Heartfelt congratulations to her – and her entire tribe are entitled to vicarious delight.

      As a Well Known Public Figure from Media Circles, no doubt you will be receiving begging letters from the Provost asking you to supplement their paltry endowment of £59.6 million. The Dirty Digger is an Alumni so you will be in good company.

      Wiki:
      As of 2022, Worcester College had a financial endowment of £59.6 million.

      Notable alumni of the college include the media mogul Rupert Murdoch, television producer and screenwriter Russell T Davies, US Supreme Court justice Elena Kagan, Fields Medallist Simon Donaldson, novelist Richard Adams (author of ‘Watership Down’), professional basketball player and US Senator Bill Bradley, and the Sultan of Perak, Nazrin Shah.

    13. Great news, Worcester is a beautiful College with fabulous grounds – I'm a Balliol man myself, and we played Rugby against Worcester a few times whilst I was there.

      She'll have a brilliant time! I'll bet you're very very proud!!

      1. Not half! She plays soccer and netball. For her London District. And sings like an angel…..

  51. I had an email this morning from Damask Rose – she sends all Nottlers her best wishes for 2025. She's having a quiet time at her country retreat, watching the birds and the flowers getting ready for spring. She's no longer on Disqus but I occasionally see her on X.

        1. Oh good, a lovely city.
          Thanks for letting us know it 's quite sad when people suddenly disappear from this web site.

  53. Yesterday evening as an off-the-cuff entertainment, SWMBO and I dropped into the Parade Cinema in Marlborough, with an Italian supper afterwards, to see 'Maria', two hours of Angelina Jolie being Maria Callas in the last week of her life in Paris in 1977. There were lots of flashbacks, majoring on her affair with Aristotle Onassis who was very well portrayed, and hints of one with JFK. I have to say, it was very good. Jolie can actually act and her lip-synching to Callas's voice was virtually faultless. Catch it if you can.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVIXaTdxlQc

    1. We watched a very long film about Callas over several evenings – I think it's called Maria by Maria – lots of film clips and quite a lot of music. Went back to her early life and the height of her fame but barely touched on her last years. She was past her best on that last tour but died tragically young at 53.

    2. Apparently, she was given several months of voice coaching before filming started and where the film shows Callas singing at the time the film was set, it actually was Jolie singing.

      1. Blimey, hats off to Angelina. I know it's supposed to have been when 'La Callas' had lost her voice but it was still pretty good.

      1. Not necessarily treason, because the prime mover is a barrister who is half French (as in being entitled to French citizenship) and of Jewish origin. Am uncertain as to whether he would pass the Tebbit test. Mauritius was a French colony from 1715 to 1810.

    3. Pointless exercise. Politicians have no interest in what we want or why. They'll do as they want for their own benefit.

      2. I know. I just feel I’m trying to do something. I notice the Petition doesn’t mention anything about HMG actually paying to give the islands away!

  57. Thought for the day.

    Will the UK last a thousand years, or will its takeover be Islam's finest hour?

    1. Erase the Left out of the Progressive Liberal Leftie Islamic Alliance.. and it can fall apart very quickly.
      If you have the right people with political Will in charge.

      Perhaps, that's why Elon Musk says Nigel Farage aint no Alice Weidel.
      Musk knows time is running out.

  58. I don't know why Musk and Farage fell out. I don't know why Farage won't acknowledge Robinson.

    I can understand it though. Robinson is uncouth, attracts a dubious following. Farage wants to stand for more than against muslim. He's got a wider remit.

    1. TR is a bit like Trump, you have to do and say unpopular things to get anything done these days.

    2. Nigel Farage rightly objects to people lying about him.

      And I rightly object to Nigel Farage lying about Tommy Robinson who has never shown any violence to women.

      In my opinion it would greatly enhance Farage's reputation if he were able to admit how abysmally Robinson has been treated by the MSM, the PTB and the courts. He can do this without welcoming Robinson into the Reform Party.

  59. Good morning everyone, almost good afternoon.
    Article by Mick Brown about LA (No, not Little 'ampton).
    Perceptive BTL comments such as :

    "Has no one in America heard of a fire break.

    Reply by Kelly Barnett.

    3 hrs ago

    Yes, we have. We used to clear the dead trees, brush and used controlled burns to protect the cities. Unfortunately our state government, from the governor to city officials are bat cr ap crazy rabid left wingers who destroyed dams and reservoirs to protect some fish. They replaced experienced firefighters with DEI hires."

      1. Until quite recently throughout Mediterranean countries there were many thousands of shepherds who would take their flocks of sheep (and/or goats) to graze in woodland and scrub and wherever they might find some unwanted vegetation. Economies grew and times changed, and most of those people retired and nobody has replaced them. Different in mountainous areas, but I remember scruffy ewes traipsing around the edges of Spanish cities, and a few are still to be found outside rural towns. If you look at commercial olive groves in Spain, they are ruthlessly denuded of grass and weeds in order to a) allow rainwater to soak in and b) to minimise fire risk.

  60. Good morning everyone, almost good afternoon.
    Article by Mick Brown about LA (No, not Little 'ampton).
    Perceptive BTL comments such as :

    "Has no one in America heard of a fire break.

    Reply by Kelly Barnett.

    3 hrs ago

    Yes, we have. We used to clear the dead trees, brush and used controlled burns to protect the cities. Unfortunately our state government, from the governor to city officials are bat cr ap crazy rabid left wingers who destroyed dams and reservoirs to protect some fish. They replaced experienced firefighters with DEI hires."

  61. 'Your husband's being tortured, and it's your fault'. 14 January 2025.

    The 42-year-old had been waiting for news of her husband Dima, an army medic captured by Russia, for more than two years when she suddenly received a phone call.

    The voice at the end of the phone told her that if she committed treason against Ukraine, Dima could be eligible for better treatment in prison, or even early release.

    "A Ukrainian number called me. I picked up, and the man introduced himself as Dmitry," Svitlana explains. "He spoke in a Russian accent."

    "He said, 'You can either burn down a military enlistment office, set fire to a military vehicle or sabotage a Ukrainian Railways electrical box.'"

    There was one other option: to reveal the locations of nearby air defence units — vital military assets that keep Ukraine's skies safe from Russian drones and missiles.

    It is of course impossible to discern the truth here so that you have a choice in believing in either Dim Russians or Dim Ukrainians. I think it’s a Ukie ploy but that’s based on my opinion of them as untruthful propagandists. There is also the point that her husband was returned unharmed. Hardly the action of a ruthless predator.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9w5jyd9nnwo

  62. As the GenZ would say.. unpack this.

    Eriksson’s estate was published on Tuesday, showing that he died £8.6million (88 million kronor) in debt.
    The largest debt item by far is tax owed in the UK.
    Eriksson earned huge sums of money in a successful career but lost £10m as part of a high-profile scam case over a decade ago. One of his financial advisors, Samir Khan, who had unlimited access to Eriksson's wealth and proceeded to blow £10m on dubious investments.

    Nope. Can't quite put my finger on what went wrong.. Is there a a lesson to be learned?

  63. As the GenZ would say.. unpack this.

    Eriksson’s estate was published on Tuesday, showing that he died £8.6million (88 million kronor) in debt.
    The largest debt item by far is tax owed in the UK.
    Eriksson earned huge sums of money in a successful career but lost £10m as part of a high-profile scam case over a decade ago. One of his financial advisors, Samir Khan, who had unlimited access to Eriksson's wealth and proceeded to blow £10m on dubious investments.

    Nope. Can't quite put my finger on what went wrong.. Is there a a lesson to be learned?

  64. That's 1½h done outside so far.
    The larger diameter logs sawn with a chainsaw MUCH improved since I gave each tooth 15 strokes of the file, then all the larger diameter sawn logs chopped and stacked temporarily ready for transferring to the 3rd stack that is currently down to ¼ full.
    An absolutely gorgeous morning and now over 8°C!!

    1. Sun's just broken through a grey sky here. I might go and hang out a small load of washing…..

  66. On the other hand, i would quite like to die in debt. At least that way our greedy grasping rapacious government won’t get any IHT.

    1. Hongkong N-Irish multi-billionaire & philanthropist Chuck Feeney famously said, "I want the last cheque I write to bounce.."

  69. Yes, but when the political class and simply ignore the request it is merely vocalised frustration.

    We need to control these fools and make them serve rather than dictate how we will live.

  70. I have a query for Nottlers.
    A person in our private cul-de-sac has his home on the market and his solicitor is insisting there should be some sort of public liability insurance cover on the road. But it's difficult to even try to understand what or why this might represent. There has never been a cover of this sort previously and some of the homes were built in the mid to late 40s. Others in the 50s.
    Personally I feel this is some one just poking their nose in. I had public liability insurance when I was working and it covered any problems or accidents that could happen with my customers. And on two occasions worked very well. But as for any relevance on a home in a Private road it's beyond me. Any ideas ?

    2. I have just emailed my sister. She lives in a private road and her husband used to be an insurance salesman for Prudential.

      I'll get back to you.

      1. Thanks Phizz.
        My elder sister also lives in a private road, but i can't get hold of her at the moment.

        1. My sister said they don't own the road. The builder does. She said that is why they refuse to buy it. No help. Sorry.

          1. Our problem could be the same but the builder’s possiblely three or more different companies. Don’t exist anymore. We are responsible for the road maintenance.
            I believe that the house has now been sold subject to contract. There has never been any problems like this previously.
            But thanks for that, much appreciated.

    3. Can't you get out of liablility by putting up a sign saying that anyone enters this road at their own risk?

      1. That's under discussion.
        We have a parking for residents only and a 10 mph speed limit sign that no body takes a blind bit of notice of.

          2. They often aren’t. I think a lot of agreements in such cases are informal. From a legal point of view, nowadays a solicitor would point out the potential risks if there is no insurance, and a purchaser might want some kind of indemnity – but nowadays things are a lot more litigious anyway.

          3. I believe you are right and this is exactly what has happened.
            Perhaps once the new resident joins the road association that will be all that’s needed.

          4. You have an “association” – does it have any documentation? Also, sometimes developers when developing a plot of land retain control the actual communal land in the plot, and can enforce various covenants against owners of properties on that development.

      2. Good idea.
        There is a cul-de-sac near us with a sign making it plain that it is a private road.

        2. I don't think that saying that a road is private necessarily exonerates the "owners" of that road from liability if the state of it somehow causes damage to someone else. It simply shows that there is no right for anyone else to park on it.

      3. Putting a sign like that on your front door wouldn't absolve you from a duty of care to anyone who entered your house.

    5. There may well be an agreement as between the owners of the houses as to cost of upkeep/maintenance of the road etc. Who pays if a sinkhole suddenly appears? It would seem logical that (in the same way that the council is liable if a hole in the road causes damage to someone or their car), there is some kind of insurance included in any agreement, if there is a formal one.

    6. You can set up a management company between owners of houses on the cul de sac. Everyone pays a smallish amount per year for insurance. If a road has not been adopted by the council then a lot of owners in private roads have this kind of set up. You can pay someone to manage it but many home owners organise it for themselves. It's to cover drains and upkeep of roads, maybe lights. Anyway, I once bought a house on a small estate and the management company organised it. Not v costly. Seems more of a modern estate thing though ie. over the last 30 years or so. I suppose it has filtered over to any private road set up.

      1. Thanks JB.

        We have always had a chair person and a committee that manages and the residents contribute to the upkeep annually. We have a residents association.

    1. Well done, Per.

      Five here…
      Wordle 1,305 5/6

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

  74. Declaration of Memes.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f78778db7e0877a1b84b766aa571b5b96602ee58aeaba2ea68780267b2dcd32b.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25928abb3d3e71c851af0719f69de49cf43d6f345b2964a5cb03731fa8d29f15.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1be35b3ef713fa6691f2fac50af218ebe615f406e7ca3c8dd4f99204bb94afb3.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5c4e8eba270b7dbc42660b96628b96aa46315f488d39c77c27f1152f3a6ed742.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c4ba23dae069658e4e4d828acf242ef3eeb611ef178c314fb84a847819c309db.png

    A N Other

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a4ddf564608147881656b037cd40df3e50e53b24ab9eaa75a33c66b45e4f4dd.png

  75. Michael Deacon in the DT.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/14/los-angeles-wildfires-have-left-diversity-industry-in-ruins/

    "The LA wildfires have left the diversity industry in ruins

    This historic disaster has awoken countless Americans to the downsides of DEI

    14 January 2025 7:00am GMT

    Across the US, big businesses are quietly ditching their diversity programmes. Perhaps now the country’s public services will follow suit. Because the LA wildfires appear to have awoken the American public to the downsides of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – aka DEI.

    For example, Fox News has reported that, while LA officials were cutting millions of dollars in funding from the local fire department, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to initiatives promoting diversity. Such as a “queer choir” known as the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and something called the “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe”.

    Almost as extraordinary is a video from 2019, in which the woman in charge of DEI at the Los Angeles Fire Department explains why the emergency services need a diverse workforce. And during this video, which is currently going viral online, Deputy Chief Kristine Larson makes two comments that are downright mind-boggling.

    First, she airily dismisses those who worry that women aren’t physically strong enough to be firefighters. People, she sniffs, often say, “You couldn’t carry my husband out of a fire.” To which, apparently, she retorts: “He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.”

    What’s that supposed to mean? That it’s your husband’s fault if a female firefighter is incapable of lifting him? What’s the poor man to do, if he finds himself trapped in a burning building? Embark on the world’s fastest ever crash diet, until he’s light enough for her to pop him under her arm like a Mulberry clutch?

    Even more absurd, however, is Ms Larson’s other argument in favour of workforce diversity. Because she claims that, when a fire engine or an ambulance arrives at your home, “You want to see someone… that looks like you.”

    Really? I don’t know about LA, but in Britain I doubt that anyone calling 999 says, “Oh, and by the way, I refuse to have my life saved by a white fireman. I insist on being rescued by a fireperson of colour. So, if you don’t have any currently on staff, I’m happy to wait till you’ve trained one up.”

    That would be mad enough. But imagine if the caller were white. “When I get to hospital, I demand to be treated by staff that look like me. So white doctors and nurses only, please. None of these black or Asian ones…”

    Most people, I suspect, would consider such a demand to be more than a touch racist. But in the Alice in Wonderland world of DEI, mere logic doesn’t get a look-in."

    2. That's me stuffed. I have an appointment at St Mary's on Thursday morning and last time I was there the cardiology department had a black female receptionist and the guy doing the scan was (Oriental) Asian. Fine at the dental clinic tomorrow though. The implant surgeon is a white guy from Sweden. (Implant fine but the crown has worked loose. I'm told that's quite common.)

    1. Oh dear, is he the brother of Steve (Phil Mitchel) from east enders ??
      Similar hair cut.

    4. But not, of course, until after the next election. (© Cur Ikea Slammer about the Dinner Lady)

    1. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to go anyway, because of having to fly, adding many tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and just think of their carbon footprints!

    2. Foreign leaders do not attend US Presidential inaugurations anyway. Margaret Thatcher sent a letter of congratulations – it's just that Trump has broken with tradition to invite Xi Jinping (who has refused the invitation). I don't think anyone else has actually been invited, although some leaders are apparently asking for an invite.

    1. Thing is, if a thorough investigation were carried out into anyone they'd find somethinng dodgy, but there is a problem here and plod and security services can't just shut it down.

      Is that what worries Starmer though? Is he so afraid of corruption being exposed? Why is he trying to hide it? If they were all murderers I wouldn't really care. They're thieves, liars and crooks. That's a given but this is paedophilia the abuse and rape of children. Such a revolting, disgusting crime cannot be ignored and those guilty must be exposed, charged and punished.

    2. Is all this pædo activity a British and incomers thing, or is it just more visible in the UK at the moment?

      1. It seems to be a Labour thing; maybe an MP/Councillor thing. I should imagine the whole of the LIB/LAB/CON are seething with perverts but Labour seems to have an inordinate amount of them.

    3. Google Labour 25 or Country Squire Magazine Labour: Can of Nonces. Someone else's suggestion. Before today I hadn't realised just how many paedophiles have held or hold strong links to the Labour Party. I'm talking councillors and even MPs. The CS Mag identified 76 past and present criminals.

  79. Phew!
    A decent morning's work done.
    Over the past few days I've been shifting log from where I'd temporarily stacked them and have done sufficient sawing & chopping to fill the 2nd woodstack to be emptied, then I carried on to get a load sawn, split and stacked ready to fill the 3rd stack when it gets emptied.

    Now just sat relaxing and contemplating making myself a mug of tea.
    Unemployed Graduate Son has got the dinner on.
    Burgers, chips, egg & baked beans.
    I've put myself some mushrooms on.

    1. We had for supper last night some delicious pork sausages , mashed potato , Tesco ready made Yorkshire puds , greens, carrots and gravy . I cooked the sausages in the Air fryer for 20 mts .. and then added the puds for 6mts at the end .. So easy simple .. A warm meal for a chilly night .

      I didn't want to prepare and mix up a batter for Toad in the hole and put my oven on .. the ready made puds were just as tasty as my own and were cooked to a doddle in the airfryer .. clever clean gadget .

  80. An NHS factoid.
    MB has just returned from visit to the flebphlabflobby vampire dept at Colchester General.
    As ever, he was in and out v. quickly because of no-shows. Apparently no-shows outnumber the decent people who actually turn up for their appointments.

  81. Last September we had quite a lot of repair work carried out for pot holes etc all paid for collectively.
    And our Soakaway road drainage system flushed and cleaned.

    1. Perhaps you all have an informal agreement. What would you do if one or more of the houses was bought in the future by someone who didn’t want to pay?

  83. Perhaps the right of offenders found guilty of these terrible crimes to be segregated in Prison would see an immediate reduction in offending (and by felicitous added bonus a potential reduction in Legal Aid fees paid out!)

    2. There was a video doing the rounds on social media once of a group of African men laughing as they handed a machine gun to a chimpanzee. The chimp of course started randomly firing. The look on the faces of the men as they jumped around and ran away was priceless. Impossible to feel sorry for them.

  85. 12h
    Actual British people might get angry, but they don't stab NHS staff because they're annoyed about waiting times.
    Liberals can shout about fake 'citizenship' and legal documents all they want, but their new friends will never be one of us.

    13h
    Nearly every day there is a stabbing.
    Meanwhile MI6 and the police are monitoring Elon Musk's tweets. This is a country that has clearly gone insane.

    NietzschesDog
    12h
    The first does not pose any threat to those in power. The second does. Hence the prioritisation.

    1. In January 2024, there were nearly 40 knife-related offenses per day in London. This was a 22% increase from the previous year.

      Solution…Give Khan a knighthood.

    2. When you say "insane as ours", are you speaking as an expat Englishman …

      … or as a plastic Frog? 😊

  87. A huge row over rape gangs just took place over in the Welsh Senedd during First Minister’s Questions. New Welsh Tory leader Darren Millar was stonewalled by Eluned Morgan when he asked if she supported an inquiry into the gangs, or about the extent of correspondence between the Welsh government, police forces and local authorities on the issue. Morgan just said it was “disappointing” that the “issue has been politicised.” Millar called for an inquiry and detailed what had gone on to girls in Wales:

    “We know from media reports that young girls have been recruited by grooming gangs here in South Wales before being gang raped and then trafficked to Hereford and Blackpool. One victim has even said that she was strangled, she was threatened with a knife and her home was threatened with being burnt down. She was then raped, I’m afraid to say First Minister, a thousand times.”

    As Millar went on the Speaker Elin Jones interrupted him and told him he was being “overly descriptive and, I think, verging on not not being totally respectful of the victim at this point so can you tone down the rhetorics.” The Tory leader claimed he was “simply reading facts,” to which the Speaker complained:

    “The use of language in this place needs to be making sure that you are keeping well away from inflaming any kind of discrimination or inciting of any kind of discrimination… you’ve become overly descriptive and I need you to now reflect on that.”

    Guido’s not sure what the optics are in claiming that factual descriptions of rape gangs’ methods is “inflaming discrimination.” Millar was having none of it either way and called for a full inquiry…

    1. This effort is stretching the definition of discrimination to breaking point. Easier to simply say 'We want to cover up our endorsing the rape of children.'

    1. What a stupid way to try and diversify from the truth.
      What are they all trying to hide.
      The whole thing seems to be far worse than anyone outside of the political world could imagine.
      What is wrong with all these political morons ?

      1. The problem is really bad here in Wales. Nearly all councils, as well as the Senedd are captured and controlled. Free Speech is all but non-existent.

        1. Strange how only a few decades ago nationalists use to set alight the homes of people who had moved in to their areas.
          And now they are working together with repulsive vile creatures who rape their young daughters.

    2. He got too close to the truth and she did not like it so tried to shut him down.
      I also imagine any victims or their families listening would have been cheering him on.

  90. I think that for certain crimes, and rape is certainly one, once the perpetrator has reached the age of 16 they should be treated as an adult and the fullest force of the law should be applied.

  91. Back from Cirencester where I had an eye test. Got off lightly this time with no new prescription. Incipient cataract hasn't developed any further and all looks healthy inside. I have diplopia which makes driving difficult especially when I'm tired, but the current specs correct it as much as they can.

    1. Good news , glasses can be very expensive.. why I don't know because I heard the lenses are made on the cheap overseas , and the frames cost next to nothing .

      1. I took the last pair with me to have reglazed but the current ones are ok. I don't bother with new frames each time if the old ones are comfortable.

        1. There are several online companies which take your prescription and put new lenses in your old frames e.g. Lensology. Much cheaper than buying new frames.

          1. On my way soon.
            I have been having problems for nearly 6 months, I had a cataract removal in my right eye. And had to take out the lense in my varifocals, but have to carry old reading glasses when needed.
            11th of Feb second cataract removal and a few weeks later hopefully some new reading glasses. My distance is perfect in the right eye. But of course my specs are aong way out of date now. 🤞

        4. New Specs for Old

          Eddy, you don't have to let the Opticians bully you.

          After I had both my cataracts replaced 2 years ago, I needed reading glasses with a new prescription. I had long ago succumbed to a "get a second pair free" offer from Boots and had never worn them, so I had a 'new' set of spectacle frames ready for re-lensing. Or you can just dig out an older pair that you no longer wear.

          One of my sons said "Try Lensology". So I googled Lensology and found this link:

          https://lensology.co.uk/new-lenses/

          They sent me a new pack, containing a strong cardboard posting box, some forms, a request for my new prescription and various options, e.g. did I want Photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight, or anti-scratch coatings, etc. I sent off my surplus pair and they returned within a week. Perfect!

          This works for repairs too. If, for example, you have an expensive pair of Ray-Bans or Guccis with a cracked or scratched lens, they will replace the damaged lens to match the other.

          Give them a try. I saved the cost of nice frames and paid around £52, not well over £100.

          EDIT: Sorry, didn't READ-UNDER first.

          2. If you need glasses purely for reading, go to Poundland or a similar store and buy half a dozen or so and keep one in every room.

        5. Specsavers do – the ones I'm wearing (which don't need to be replaced) were recycled a year ago with new lenses in old frames.

  95. The LA wildfires have left the diversity industry in ruins

    This historic disaster has awoken countless Americans to the downsides of DEI

    14 January 2025 7:00am GMT
    Michael Deacon

    Across the US, big businesses are quietly ditching their diversity programmes. Perhaps now the country’s public services will follow suit. Because the LA wildfires appear to have awoken the American public to the downsides of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – aka DEI.

    For example, Fox News has reported that, while LA officials were cutting millions of dollars in funding from the local fire department, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to initiatives promoting diversity. Such as a “queer choir” known as the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and something called the “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe”.

    Almost as extraordinary is a video from 2019, in which the woman in charge of DEI at the Los Angeles Fire Department explains why the emergency services need a diverse workforce. And during this video, which is currently going viral online, Deputy Chief Kristine Larson makes two comments that are downright mind-boggling.

    First, she airily dismisses those who worry that women aren’t physically strong enough to be firefighters. People, she sniffs, often say, “You couldn’t carry my husband out of a fire.” To which, apparently, she retorts: “He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.”

    What’s that supposed to mean? That it’s your husband’s fault if a female firefighter is incapable of lifting him? What’s the poor man to do, if he finds himself trapped in a burning building? Embark on the world’s fastest ever crash diet, until he’s light enough for her to pop him under her arm like a Mulberry clutch?

    Even more absurd, however, is Ms Larson’s other argument in favour of workforce diversity. Because she claims that, when a fire engine or an ambulance arrives at your home, “You want to see someone… that looks like you.”

    Really? I don’t know about LA, but in Britain I doubt that anyone calling 999 says, “Oh, and by the way, I refuse to have my life saved by a white fireman. I insist on being rescued by a fireperson of colour. So, if you don’t have any currently on staff, I’m happy to wait till you’ve trained one up.”

    That would be mad enough. But imagine if the caller were white. “When I get to hospital, I demand to be treated by staff that look like me. So white doctors and nurses only, please. None of these black or Asian ones…”

    Most people, I suspect, would consider such a demand to be more than a touch racist. But in the Alice in Wonderland world of DEI, mere logic doesn’t get a look-in.

    The most bizarre Covid vaccine claim yet
    During the general election campaign of 2005, when he was fighting to retain the seat of Henley, Boris Johnson promised the public that voting Tory “will cause your wife to have bigger breasts”. Inevitably, the cynics scoffed. But now, 20 years on, Mr Johnson may well argue that he delivered on this key electoral pledge – albeit in the most roundabout and accidental way.

    Because, improbable as it may sound, dozens of British women claim that after they had their Covid jabs, their busts ballooned in size.

    According to data from the UK’s medicines watchdog, a total of 48 women in this country have reported that their breasts grew appreciably larger following vaccination. This news comes hot on the heels of an even more eye-popping story from Canada – where a young woman told doctors that, within six months of her Covid jabs, her bra size had rocketed from a B-cup to a triple G.

    Admittedly, the British women’s claims have not been verified by medical experts. Even so, Mr Johnson must be wishing that he’d known about them during the pandemic, when he was still prime minister. Because you can be sure that he’d have pounced on them – the claims, that is – in his urgent efforts to increase take-up.

    “Folks! If you’re young, slim and healthy, you may assume that there’s no point in getting the jab. But that’s where you’re wrong. Because I can assure you that our vaccines offer the most spectacular benefits. Yes, these miraculous meds give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Covid booster’…”

    He might even have used the claims to increase take-up among the LGBTQIA+ community.

    “Transgender ladies! Why spaff thousands of pounds on expensive gender-affirming surgery, when you can achieve much the same effect by having a simple Covid jab, absolutely free of charge…”

    Mind you, it isn’t just women who purport to have experienced unlikely physical side-effects. In 2021, the rapper Nicki Minaj bizarrely claimed that the Covid vaccine had caused her cousin’s friend’s testicles to grow.

    Imagine if it had been another part of his body. The manufacturers could never have kept up with demand.

    Way of the World is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 7am every Tuesday and Saturday

    *******************************************

    Parthia Scythia
    8 hrs ago
    Let's hope it catches on here, DEI is basically an excuse to be racist towards white people.

    PJ Spiers
    5 hrs ago
    Reply to Parthia Scythia
    DEI

    Division

    Exclusion

    Intolerance

    Not a lot more to say is there? Except madness.

    Reply to PJ Spiers
    Don’t forget

    Didn’t

    Earn

    It

    1. I had the latest edition of Airmail today. Usually the pictures are full of DIE versity. Not so this edition. There were very few diverse people and some photos had only whites!

      1. Calvin and Hobbes were brilliant – I have a number of the annuals – it was also very clever as (I think this is right!) they are both based upon a couple of 17th century philosophers.
        John Calvin believed in predestination and Thomas Hobbes in free will, although I'm not sure how this translates to the cartoon!

      1. It also won them elections.. the trick is to have a strong leader with sound strategy.
        And broad shoulders for a lethal back stab from the wets.

    2. Controlled opposition. About as principled as the Tories. It's just the same old trick the Cons have been playing since Theresa May explicitly rejected conservatism at the turn of the century – tell the mugs what they want to hear, and reap the votes.

    4. Why not? Anything to get Labour out.

      Indeed.
      However, start panicking when Ken Clarke, Anna Soubry & Oliver Letwin sign up.

    5. If one is a member of Reform UK 'Nigel', you, will have been asked "Max, Dave, or Dickhead, would you like to stand for Reform UK?"
      I don't know who this chap is but he seems to think he's being asked to stand as an MP as opposed to running in a local council election.
      WTF is he anyway?

      1. Pimlico Plumbers CEO & Owner . Very Rich and currently domiciled abroad to avoid Labour imposed punitive taxes…

  98. Wordle 1,305 3/6

    ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
    🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 14 Jan 2025

    Elaborate Birdy Three?

    2. Just a straightforward par today…..

      Wordle 1,305 4/6

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

    3. Good one. Par for me.

      Wordle 1,305 4/6

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

    4. Boring as mud. Bogey
      Wordle 1,305 5/6

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

    5. Well done. Been in Exeter all day and just done Wordle. Same as you.

      Wordle 1,305 3/6

      ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
      ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  99. Blimey. The comments on the fragrant Tulip's resignation are clocking up at a pace that's impossible to keep up with.
    I like this one:
    "Starmer's judgement makes Wayne Rooney look like a chess Grandmaster."

      2. Did you know that Max's real name was Horace? Er, his real name was not Horace but Walter, i.e. Walter Bygraves. My mistake. (I am a mistaken NoTTLer, and not a bad NoTTLer.)

        2. "I wanna tell you a story (from Wikipedia) …"

          Walter William "Max" Bygraves OBE (16 October 1922 – 31 August 2012) was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs.

          1. Glad you noticed (I hope) the distinction between “my mistake” and ‘my bad”, Grizzly.

    2. Goodness! You mean there's a level of corruption that is unacceptable in this government? I'm flabbergasted!

  100. Who was the quarter-wit who first coined the now omnipresent and patently idiotic phrase, Artificial Intelligence (AI), a moronic oxymoron to end all moronic oxymorons? The concept may well be clever, crafty, resourceful, ingenious and adroit; however, it is not intelligence.

    It was invented by highly competent humans … but not intelligent ones. Unfortunately humans are the least intelligent species to have ever evolved! Humans may be clever and resourceful enough to have created many wonderful things; but they are far too stupid to comprehend the insanity of their ways in destroying the only planet known to support life.

    No other species of living thing (plant, animal or eukaryote) routinely trashes its living space or breeds in an uncontrolled fashion out of its necessary numbers. Nor do any of them pollute their water supply or destroy the balance of nature. Moreover, nothing else has ever manufactured (and used) weapons of mass destruction or powerful mind-controlling agencies similar to politics and religion.

    If humans still possessed the intelligence they once unarguably had (thousands of years ago) they would still be in harmony with the planet and their numbers would be in balance with all other species. Unfortunately their exponentially-rising levels of crass stupidity is ensuring a bleak future for themselves and every other living organism. And for those who think their Artificial Cleverclogsness will save them, there is simply no hope.

    2. I hate to hark on about Lark Rise to Candleford, but the generations preceding the 1880s knew it. Unfortunately life for most was hard (like it is for billions in the “third world” today). And “progress” makes for better living conditions – but at what costs.

    3. I hate to hark on about Lark Rise to Candleford, but the generations preceding the 1880s knew it. Unfortunately life for most was hard (like it is for billions in the “third world” today). And “progress” makes for better living conditions – but at what costs.

      1. I take your point, D-cup, and I agree with it.

        By using 'their' I was attempting to sound like a detached fly-on-the-wall commentator (or a visiting alien) assessing the species from without.

    5. Apparently, AI is the solution to many issues. I think it's just another name for searching databases.

  103. That's me for this Tuesday. Better weather. Still cloudy and dank but not so cold. An hour's useful ladder and saw work.

    Have a spiffing evening. We shall bask in GD's reflected glory!

    A demain.

  104. Starmer's AI initiative isn't pulling in much support BTL.

    Has he spoken to his energy czar re the enormous amount of energy that will be required and to anyone in his Cabinet who may have an idea re the infrastructure required e.g. buildings, fibre cable network, cooling etc.?

    Oh, almost forgot, the digital control of everything in people's lives that his mates in Davos want implemented will create another vast overhead in computing power etc. Where's the money coming from, the UK is nigh on bankrupt.

    https://x.com/BasedMillwall/status/1879177440746246538
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eae82527da53cd4dc75e7c96b98353f4c02d6c0c5f886f8a3d4c2d8957532315.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e2bb79cd58de17662ab45d14d868d4ade9685a84e81f462d09411677cc7263b1.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/81b6abbbad8d31f307c30b5c738d141ea26622877d2165eec8dffdf061db85d8.png

    1. Starmer could do the same as Microsoft and Google are doing – build a small nuclear reactor to power his AI – oh, wait a moment…

      Yes folks – while we will be freezing and huddling round a candle because the wind's not blowing, the big tech AIs that are spying on us will be fueled by nuclear reactors.

    3. As of NHFG2T “sir kneel”K has an iota how AI can “transform working people’s lives for the better”.

  105. New City Minister’s Eyebrow-Raising Record on China

    Emma Reynolds is replacing Tulip Siddiq as City minister with the anti-corruption brief. Reynolds, former Treasurer of the APPG for China, has some eyebrow-raising form on Jinping’s regime. Bloomberg reported just last month that, as managing director of public affairs at banking trade group TheCityUK, Reynolds had recently taken part in a campaign to lobby ministers to keep China off the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme’s “enhanced tier.” That would have increased transparency obligations for dealings with China…

    At the time Labour said Reynolds “was not involved in the government’s China policy.” Labour has so far failed to introduce the Tory-initiated scheme and Reynolds is elevated to City minister, a relevant brief. Some fingers are also pointed at her ‘multiple’ meetings with a Russian diplomat way back in 2012. She said at the time she wasn’t against setting up a “Labour Friends of Russia” group. Judging by the good that Labour Friends of Bangladesh did for the last City minister, now might not be the time…

    14 January 2025 @ 17:33

    1. " By the way, Rachel, you'd better tell your boss that one last thing that we require from our 600Mn deal is that Emma Reynolds replaces Tulip Siddiq."

  108. I very much enjoyed today’s “Secret Prisoner” column:

    “Today I received a short but compelling letter from a young lady called Lizzy. It had been photocopied and bunged in an A5 brown prison envelope with my cell number – original envelopes are always discarded. Lizzy expressed her deep regret that I was now in prison, and “for so long”. This worried me: did she know something about my forthcoming court hearing which I didn’t? She then turned fondly to memories of our “nights together, making love” and said that she hoped the enclosed would “be a little something to remember her by”. It was a picture of herself at the beach, bikini bottoms only.

    Lizzy was at least a quarter of a century my junior and, regretfully, not someone I had ever met. But such is the completely cack-handed management of prison mail that it was not the first time I have received misdirected mail. I returned it to an officer but, as Lizzy had not included her address (though it might have been on the original envelope), it was unclear how, or whether, the intended recipient would now be identified.

    Letters are a big deal in prison. Phone credit is quite expensive and we can only phone out, so it means so much when people take trouble to write in. There is something about writing to prisoners which brings out the best in people, who are often moved to write at length.

    The prison obsession with screening incoming mail – not for content, as Lizzy’s letter demonstrates, but for the possibility it may be written on a sheet impregnated with spice or fentanyl – means that you only receive a photocopy of the original. Inexplicably, I have even received letters from friends since moved to other prisons, written on standard issue prison paper, which have then been photocopied. Prisons must surely trust their own stationery to be drug free, so this is the product of the classic broad-brush HMP systems which never succumb to case by case logic. And when I started sending prison letters – the chief advantage of which is that there is no postage charge – no one told me that prisoners could only send two per week. Rather than having surplus letters sent back to me with this explanation, it seems several were probably binned.

    More common than letters going astray is the phenomenon of receiving only half a letter, either owing to inept photocopying, or the indifference of prison admins. My father wrote to me last week to tell me that the best man at my wedding had recently died of cancer. I knew he was seriously ill, but somehow having only the second half of my father’s letter seemed an affront. Many letters I have sent out have not arrived or been received inexplicably mangled. One crucial document, sent recorded delivery to Reading Crown Court, was never received there – with the irony that though I had paid extra, the prison gave me no recorded delivery receipt to prove dispatch. The judge, denying bail owing to insufficient evidence, subsequently told me, “prison mail is notoriously unreliable”, as if my folly had been in sending it at all.

    The most common form of written correspondence is the “emates” email system, which sounds like a service for amorous penfriends. It is quicker and probably more reliable but can only be initiated by an external sender. Because we are not allowed access to the internet, as a prisoner you can only hand write on a reply sheet, which is then somehow scanned and sent back as a picture.

    Emates admins are so casual and disorganised, or so overworked and understaffed, that you will often get the same email two or three times, presumably due to batch print-outs. I guess the mailroom is far too sensitive an area to allow even trusted prisoners to work. It’s a shame because a prison is about the size of a large village and two or three conscientious types like myself – who can label envelopes and photocopy things – could make a positive difference.
    Some of us are not allowed to write to some people – loved ones are not infrequently circumscribed by bail conditions. That’s why we have to identify our prisoner number and cell location on outgoing mail and leave the letter open. The only exception in terms of sealing mail is Prisoner Rule 39, for legal correspondence. My hunch is that Prisoner Rule 39 is probably abused a bit, but I can understand why: there is something unsettling about dropping a personal yet unsealed letter in a prison postbox. But as Lizzy’s candid snap proves, there is precious little privacy inside.”

    Next week: The Secret Prisoner marshals his defence in the run-up to his trial
    The writer is an inmate at a Category B jail – the second highest level of security – which the Independent Monitoring Board found to be chronically overcrowded and understaffed, with self-harm and drug use rife. A professional entrepreneur on the outside, he is on remand awaiting trial charged with non-violent crimes, which he denies

  110. Labour-run Lambeth Council issues Section 21 notices on 200 council-owned homes. Why? They wouldn't do that would they?

    Who are the new tennants? Betcha you can't guess that one.

    1. The tenants should just sit there until the bailiffs roll up.. After all, that's the advice that Angela Rayner gives to the victims of other section 21 evictions, and the council are then duty bound to find them accommodation.

      1. Angela Rayner said today LOL
        “For far too long working people and families have been at the mercy of a fickle and unfair rental market, faced with outrageous upfront costs, and struggling to find a safe and secure place they can truly call home.

        “We are delivering on our promise to transform the lives of millions of renters so families can put down roots, allow their children to grow up in secure and healthy homes, and make sure our young people can save for their future.”

        1. Renters?

          I suppose Labour could stop forcing Landlords out of the market with their punitive laws and conditions.

          Not every Landlord expects to get rich from rents. They see these properties as a long term investment and generally are good to the tenants.

          It's the housing associations and the MOD that provide substandard mouldy accommodations.

          Look in the mirror Angela.

      2. They might manage a B+B in Blackpool but all the 4 star hotels are occupied by you know who.

    2. comments suggest there is subletting involved, i.e. original council tenants may have moved and sublet their property to workers in the 'independent' sector.

    3. Found the article and made a comment about the back ground to Lambeth's housing shortage.

      R. Spowart
      3 min ago
      Message Actions
      Interesting when you consider that during the '60s/'70s the Labour run Lambeth council used the proposed and later abandoned improvement plans for the South Circular Road to declare certain parts of the borough as Redevelopment Areas and, with it's own Compulsory Purchase powers, began to buy up swathes of housing which was then either demolished, had the interiors wrecked, or even just left empty until subsequently taken over by squatters, some of whom later claimed ownership under the Adverse Possession Rules.

      This removed thousands of homes from the housing supply which Lambeth has never really recovered from.

      As a final twist, virtually ALL the redevelopment areas just "happened" to be in Tory voting wards.

    4. Found the article and made a comment about the back ground to Lambeth's housing shortage.

      R. Spowart
      3 min ago
      Message Actions
      Interesting when you consider that during the '60s/'70s the Labour run Lambeth council used the proposed and later abandoned improvement plans for the South Circular Road to declare certain parts of the borough as Redevelopment Areas and, with it's own Compulsory Purchase powers, began to buy up swathes of housing which was then either demolished, had the interiors wrecked, or even just left empty until subsequently taken over by squatters, some of whom later claimed ownership under the Adverse Possession Rules.

      This removed thousands of homes from the housing supply which Lambeth has never really recovered from.

      As a final twist, virtually ALL the redevelopment areas just "happened" to be in Tory voting wards.

  113. Just imagine a former Labour PM signing and extradition treaty with the USA and twenty years later Labour activists get caught interfering in US elections, a serious crime in that country.
    What are the odds on that happening.
    I'm sure Trump has a top judge for that.

    1. I was left wondering what the actual deal was. One would expect reciprocity but we didn't get it.

  115. From Coffee House, the Spectator

    11 Jan 2025
    Coffee House
    Matthew Lynn
    Spain will regret its 100 per cent expat property tax
    14 January 2025, 11:24am

    (Photo: iStock)

    Text
    Comments

    They drive up prices. Rents go through the roof. And the locals can no longer afford a home. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is so fed up with wealthy expats inflating the property market he is planning a 100 per cent tax on anyone from outside the EU buying a home in Spain. Of course, that might prove popular in the short term – but Spain will pay a high price for slamming the door shut on well-off foreigners.

    To pretend driving expats out will make any difference to the average Spaniard is just ridiculous

    Any who dreamt of buying a small place on the Costa del Sol or in the hills of Catalonia can probably forget about it. Very soon they will face a 100 per cent additional tax, a rate of effective stamp duty that even Rachel Reeves might consider a bit steep. Since it can’t be recouped when you sell the property, it will effectively close the Spanish market to foreigners. You either rent or go elsewhere.

    Of course, with soaring property prices, and a shortage of places to live, it is easy to see what Sanchez is getting at. People can’t afford housing and rich foreigners are an easy target just as they are in the UK. Even so, it is still a big mistake.

    First, the numbers are tiny. An estimated 27,000 Spanish properties were bought by non-EU residents last year, with the British retirement crowd only a small proportion of that. For a country with a total population of 48 million that is a tiny percentage. Most of them are located in a handful of cities. To pretend driving them out will make any difference to the average Spaniard is just ridiculous.

    Next, the expats bring investment and jobs. Spain has managed to expand significantly faster than the rest of Europe over the last few years, with a 2.7 per cent growth rate last year. The money the expats bring into the country has not been the sole explanation for that. But it has certainly helped Spain modernise and internationalise its economy, especially given that it is globetrotting investors who have been moving to Spain in recent years, and not just retirees looking for some sunshine. Like much of Europe, including the UK, the real housing problem in Spain is that it does not build enough, and it has too many low-skilled immigrants. Closing the country to wealthy expats might win a few votes – but it is not going to address the real problem.

    Matthew Lynn
    Written by
    Matthew Lynn
    Matthew Lynn is a financial columnist and author of ‘Bust: Greece, The Euro and The Sovereign Debt Crisis’ and ‘The Long Depression: The Slump of 2008 to 2031’

    1. Well, yes, but if foreign money – which can pay a higher price – is blocked then house prices will fall due to basic supply and demand (no one buys at 10, so price has to fall to 9).

      While the numbers might be small, they do affect the top, which – despite Lefties refusing to acknowledge it – filters down the chain. The 1m mansion isn't sold, but the 6 bedroom town house does, which the wealthy Spaniard now cannot buy because he could only pay 850.

      Every country in Europe seems to share the masses of unskilled immigrants problem. They didn't have to, they could have kept the vermin out but the EU refused it.

    2. Its a ploy to get a percentage of the British population to think about rejoining the EU… Barstewards!

  117. Well that's me for the day, I've just been watching Digging for Britain.
    One of my favourites. But wouldn't suit my knees.
    A few years ago I might have been walking to my local for a couple of pints at this time.
    But not tonight.
    Goodnight all. 😴

    1. My uncle was a taciturn man – but he didn't need to tell my aunt where he was going when he put his shoes on at 10.00pm.

      2. I turned to the Warqueen and opened my mouth and she held up a hand and said 'get soap as well'.

        Another open mouth and she said…. "you went to the bathroom and opened the drawers. You're running low on deodorant. You also want to get some chocolate because you've had a bad day. The car was empty yesterday so i filled the tank – you're going to Waitrose because it's far enough away for you to think. We'll need soap next week. Get it as well. "

          1. I wouldn't know what to do if I did. Besides, as she tells me, I keep my promises and that big one, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, as long as we both shall live' was kind of the doozy.

          1. She is psychic sometimes. Of course, we've known one another for over a decade, so getting used to one another is sort of expected.

    2. I know the feeling. It's 12.20 am now and i would have been ordering a cab to take me to the nightclub !

  119. US President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very quickly" after being sworn in on January 20, he said in a Monday interview. He was interviewed by conservative news outlet Newsmax and was asked about specifics on his strategy to end the Ukraine war, to which Trump replied "there is only one strategy, and it’s up to Putin."

    Trump explained, "I can’t imagine he's too thrilled with the way it’s gone, because it hasn’t gone exactly well for him either."

    "I know he [Putin] wants to meet, and I'm going to meet very quickly," the president-elect said. "I would have done it sooner, but… you have to get into the office." These words came the day after Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), told ABC News that "the preparations are underway" for a meeting between Trump and the Russian leader.

  120. Re the lad murdered recently in Woolwich

    BTL Comment:
    Bill Bryson
    Aspiring to be a drill rapper – what a wholesome career choice. Bet his parents are really proud of him.

    In this case Black & Decked

    1. I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I went into a different branch of the military then became a tactician and then realised the MoD didn't really care about soldiers lives and started my company.

      1. Another ex mil, Wibbs. Not too many of us here. I was lucky to do 19 years without many scars although quite a number I knew ended up in hillsides. Life is all about luck of the draw (with a little assistance in direction from the individual). Now, to more important matters, when is yr get together this summer…. Im away in Asia in June!

        1. Is Wibbles having a party in June that i am unaware of? I'm an excellent gatecrasher !

          Mine is likely to be July so you and Mrs Pea have no excuse !

          I am filling every month of 2025 with an event. The Lanesbourough in May. Afternoon tea or a voucher lunch courtesy of Anne Allan.

          June will be my elder sisters funeral though she doesn't know it yet.

          August pissing off to Malta.

          September asking the Consulate if i can serve the last part of my prison term on the Isle of Wight.

          November fireworks party on my release !

          Oh gawd it's Christmas…again.

  122. 400157+Up ticks,

    Pillow ponder,

    What would have happened?
    Precisely NOTHING would have happened,simply because another serious THICK coating of stealth paint would have been applied.

    These actual odious actions are at last FULLY coming to light and the governing parties, ( the coalition ) full true colour YELLOW of treachery is coming to light more clearly on a daily
    basis,
    .

    https://x.com/recusant_raja/status/1879064710156517409

  124. Well, it's an hour early, but I've decided to now go up the stairs to bed. Good Night everyone, sleep well, and see you all tomorrow morning.

    1. Oooh, thank you! I need something tranquil and in Italian to sing for a couple of people (most of my repertoire is mad and dramatic) and I'd forgotten about this. 🙂

  128. Another day is done and I'm exhausted, AS USUAL so, i wish all our Nottlers a GOODNIGHT. Schlafe Gut Bis Morgan Fruh.

  129. Evening, all. Late on parade today because I had a meeting to chair and by the time I'd got home, it was getting on.

    One cure for many of the country's ills would be an end to socialism and return to conservative (small C) values.

    1. Evening Conners. One small chink in your suggestion… we had a conservative government for the last 14 years and they continued with the soft socialism introduced by Blair et al.

      1. We had a Conservative government that didn't uphold small C conservative values. Note, I didn't write Conservative, but conservative and emphasised small C.

    1. I think Labour and recent past governments have had instructions to demonstrate that we are incapable of governing ourselves and therefore the sensible thing to do in order to survive the increasing mayhem would be to hand over our governance to the WEF One World Government – when people have had enough of Labour's incompetence, of course, at a date decided by the WEF and not by us. They need to ensure that we have well and truly got the message.

    2. We saw under Corbyn his support for terrorists.

      It comes as no surprise to me that after the withdrawal of the Winter fuel allowance for pensioners, the attacks on disabled and special needs regarding Independent schools, The threat hanging over PIPS, the attacks on small and medium sized businesses, the attacks on farmers …the millions given to jihadi groups in Syria, the millions given and promised open ended to Zelensky…the lies, the cover ups…

      This government is the worst in living memory. A plague be on all their houses.

  133. Better late than never…

    Wordle 1,305 3/6

    🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
    🟨🟩⬜⬜🟨
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  135. LA Mayor being one of Biden's chosen ones……………

    Ghana has several bio labs, including BSL-3 laboratories at the University of Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research.
    Explanation

    The University of Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research has BSL-3 laboratories.
    The University of Ghana's Chemistry department has equipment such as a 500 MHz NMR LCMS, FTIR, and Single Crystal X-Ray Diffractometer.
    The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has equipment such as HPLC LCMS GCMS Refractometer FTIR UV-VIS 500 MHz NMR Flow Cytometer.
    The University of Cape Coast's Chemistry department has equipment such as HPLC GCMS UV-VIS Flame Photometer FTIR Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.

  136. Tony Slattery. Dead at 65.

    He said: "I'm happily described as gay", and was in a relationship with the actor Mark Michael Hutchinson from 1986 until his death. In September 2020, Slattery signed a publishing deal to write his memoirs. Slattery died aged 65 on 14 January 2025, having suffered a heart attack two days previously.

    Bi-polar. Cocaine and alcohol addict. Best mates with Stephen Fry.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14285249/Tony-Slattery-final-message-comedian-thanked-fans-Christmas-died-heart-attack.html

    1. 'Morning Pip,I'm sat here with a glass of Wood's tried an early night but it didn't take
      What's your excuse…………

      1. Morning Rik. I'm sat here with a glass of whisky for the same reason.

        We're not conjoined twins are we?

        I had a very nice rare roast beef lunch and Dolly and Harry have been happily cleaning up the reflux.

        I then tried to swallow an omeprazole and they got seconds.

        How has your day been? :@)

        1. Same same tried for a doctors app numbness getting worse online form "temp unavailable" phoned 27 in the queue
          Fuck it I think I'll try burgling a migrant hotel…..
          Chicken,bacon cheese and salad wraps for tea on a nice lebanese flatbread couldn't be arsed to cook anything else

          1. First Q. What numbness.

            Second Q. Why didn't i know. Not that i can do anything

            GP appointments are as rocking horse shit and A&E waits are in 20 hours plus.

            Our new Labour government will have this all sorted…Don't you worry.

          2. 1 Residual numbness all down my left side from a TIA
            2 I'm the strong silent type no point moaning I was told it would clear up in 6 months or a year or never wasn't told it could spread……
            Need to hit the phone at 8 when they open so I'd better sign off now nighty night

          3. Well then. The best of luck. Given my clots i will be joining you soon.

            See ! We are twins !

            When you do get to the point the NHS is treating you it is best to remain the silent type.

          4. If you get in to the practice first thing and do the big looming yeti type thing they DO have appointments they can RELEASE.

          6. I was left in the waiting room on my own for 30 minutes after being informed i had had a heart attack.

          8. It was a locum. I went through all the 10 hour wait at hospital. Turned out i hadn’t had a heart problem at all. The doctor who did the ecg at the hospital was curious as to why i was there.

          9. I still have numb (until stabbed for a blood sugar test) left fingertips after a stroke about 10 years ago, so don't hold your breath on that…

  138. Morning, all Y'all.
    Hope Phizzee & Rik finally got some zeds. Up all night is no fun.

      1. These days I can barely stay awake – can I swap you? Was in bed by 20:30 last night, woke 05:45 as usual, can barely get moving I’m so tired. Even double espresso didn’t work, although the lovely smile the young lass behind the counter had for me was deffo a boost!

    2. Aka Communism/Marxism or whatever other form of extreme Socialism you may care to mention.

Comments are closed.