Tuesday 8 August: Britain’s bewildering failure to exploit home-grown nuclear technology

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.

582 thoughts on “Tuesday 8 August: Britain’s bewildering failure to exploit home-grown nuclear technology”

  3. Britain isn’t in ‘managed’ decline. The country is about to fall off a cliff. 8 August 2023.

    But the UK’s fate is not merely to become steadily poorer, crankier and rougher round the edges – a place where, year by year, you become slightly more likely to spend your life renting, be accosted by mentally unstable beggars on the street or die of curable cancer. The risk however is that such a scenario – one of slow-burning misery rather than a full-blown emergency – may in fact be too optimistic. The country is not so much slumping along a downward slope as hurtling towards a cliff edge.

    Britain is fast approaching a state of emergency. By most people’s definition, the country is almost broke. Even with taxes at a peacetime high, the state is borrowing billions to pay for unsustainable spending. After the authorities bungled how they issued public debt, debt servicing costs are now the fastest rising in the G7.

    Theres’s one thing about being a Nottler. You already know all this!

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/07/britain-isnt-managed-decline-it-is-about-to-fall-off-cliff/

    1. Morning Minty and all.

      The Good News is the Cliffs are all being eroded and a phenomenal rate!

    2. Good Lord. Has someone at the Telegraph read the Deagel Report and listened to Alastair Macleod?

      Incidentally, Macleod says that the establishment are increasingly requesting interviews with him. Slowly, very slowly, they are realising that something is about to change.

    4. Morning, Araminta.

      If Britain isn’t in ‘managed’ decline then why is the Country in decline, as it most certainly is? Incompetence? ‘Oh, politicians? They’re so useless they couldn’t run a bath’ is a hackneyed excuse, a cover for what is really happening.
      Britain is definitely in decline and IMO it is deliberate, ergo, it is being managed. The decline has accelerated since the ‘Plandemic’ of 2020, the latter another argument in favour for management of what is happening. Mass illegal immigration mainly consisting fighting age men, 15 minute cities, LTNs, the attack on farming, the plans to do away with ICE vehicles and of course the approaching climate emergency etc. are proof of management. These items haven’t just happened here and in many other western nations: it’s a concerted effort by outside forces and many complicit people within the Country.
      It’s most definitely being managed!

      1. It’s most definitely being managed!

        Morning Korky. My view is that the “decline” was not intended as such but is a side effect of the policies of the Political Elites. Mass immigration, the hostility of the EU, the March through the Institutions, Social Engineering etc., have all worked to erode the moral, financial and democratic foundations of the country. Since they are tied together it is not possible to reverse the one without the other and so we are doomed to collapse and barred from recovery until the Muslim takeover.

        1. 375298+ up ticks,

          Morning AS,

          My belief is the voting majority will vote in the muslim take over, just prior to the civil war.

          1. Morning Oggy. There will probably be little choice as the Political Elites all head for California! Lol!

        2. Araminta, my view now is that the move to obtain total control of our freedoms and resources etc. has been long in the making and has formed the policies of the elites for decades and IMO the outcome is therefore not a side effect.
          If one major aim is to flood the Country with people who are in the most part unproductive, welfare dependent, who breed uncontrollably (look at the population surge in their home countries since around 1947) and who follow an ideology that is inimical to that of the current majority then that in itself will initiate a decline. Add in the other policies you mention and decline is inevitable.
          That some of the politicians we have had foisted on us are incompetent in the execution of the plan is undeniable but the overall plan is in place and being managed. I expect that the ‘real’ elites despair at the actions of some of the politicians they have recruited: who wouldn’t? Perhaps the ‘real’ elites aren’t as smart as the believe themselves to be?
          Whatever the situation we do agree that ‘The End is Nigh’. Collapse and rebuild is the only solution but that will be one very hard road to travel.

        3. Muslim take over ?
          Back to the middle ages then.
          And our hierarchy think that they are advancing our social structure and culture.
          Naked Stupidity abounds.

      2. The really sad part is that on past form, the implementation of these programmes will be mangled (not managed) with even more disastrous consequences for us.

  4. ;Morning All

    Just when you thought you couldn’t despise Wankcock any harder………

    https://twitter.com/ThinkingSlow1/status/1688714440420491264?s=20

    Disease X?? planning the next pandemic more like

    https://twitter.com/backtolife_2023/status/1688561382277451776?t=xgTOODdkXhLHL6mGrmRGqA&s=08

    Mini-Medley due to ‘puter crash……….

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc37452b5c20c6ce13809cf5466855bc2f356c65d899a677cd365b6faf6ea340.gif

    http://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/82092f9002b09225decf5e64e14fc594c16b44b74684a3ea90e1871fe33a304c.gif

    2. “Fantastic that from this week, schools now teach LGBT- inclusive relationships and sex-ed.”

      Or, as it used to be known, grooming.
      Not so long ago, games masters were regularly banged up at Her Majesty’s pleasure for such ‘teaching’.

    3. Perhaps the clue is in his name w⚓️.
      I wonder if he actually realises what damage all this stupid BS is doing to our society and its future development.

      1. Morning Oberst.

        On February 4, 2014, a recording of a phone call between Nuland and U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt on January 28, 2014, was published on YouTube. Nuland and Pyatt discussed who they thought should or shouldn’t be in the next Ukrainian government and their opinion of various Ukrainian political figures. Nuland told Pyatt that Arseniy Yatsenyuk would be the best candidate to become the next Prime Minister of Ukraine. Nuland suggested the United Nations, rather than the European Union, should be involved in a political solution, adding “fuck the EU”. The following day, Christiane Wirtz, Deputy Government Spokesperson and Deputy Head of the Press and Information Office of the German Federal Government, stated that German Chancellor Angela Merkel termed Nuland’s remark “absolutely unacceptable.” The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, condemned the remark as “unacceptable”. Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki said the discussion was not evidence of any American plan to influence the political outcome, remarking that “It shouldn’t be a surprise that at any point there have been discussions about recent events and offers and what is happening on the ground”. WIKIPEDIA

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Nuland

    2. When you hear the words “restoring democracy” you know what the US is up to.

      Victoria Nuland’s ethnic roots lie in the Ukraine apparently, which may be why she hates Russia so much.

        1. Until your post, Annie, I had not connected Little Orphan Annie (any relation?)’s guardian’s name to refer to how he made his fortune. What you learn on NoTTLe, eh?

  6. Morning, all Y’all.
    Rain given over for a few hours, but expected to restart with increased vigour- this morning. Bugger 🙁

  7. We’re scared of WATER so you can’t put us on the migrant barge: Leftie lawyers help block transfer of 20 asylum seekers onto Bibby Stockholm – as some say seeing friends drown while being smuggled into UK means boats now terrify them
    Care4Calais said representations by its lawyers stopped some of the transfers

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12381723/Lawyers-block-transfer-20-asylum-seekers-Bibby-Stockholm-eleventh-hour-arrivals-board-vessel-goodie-bags-flowers-maps-shampoo.html

      1. The southern shores of the Med would be a good place to start experiencing hydrophobia.

    2. Not so traumatised by 4* hotels then, despite possibly seeing some of their mates pushed off them in their own countries.

    3. DT took fright and closed comments after about 3 hours. They were clocking up like the “Dame Rose” saga.
      There seemed to be an overwhelming feeling of scepticism about the claims.

          5. June Is Bustin’ out All Over Is a song from the musical Carousel, thought to have been from a Johnny Cash love letter to June Carter.

            Riding along on a carousel is a song by The Hollies. I was referencing the musical.

          6. Yes, I know. Carousel was the name given to killing off all those over 30 in Logan’s Run. It was a prime example of government control and brainwashing.

        2. Plenty of room for council estates there.
          There’s already one in Bedfordshire.

      2. The well named Empty Quarter is crying out for settlement.
        And the country is run by their fellow zealots co-religionists.

      3. They have a site which will hold around a million people in relative luxury for their religious festivals. They have never taken in one single displaced family, or never will.

    5. One assumes Care4Calais is a registered charity. The Government could start by removing their charitable tax status and stop any government grants they might be getting. Then move on to doing similarly to any organisation that supports illegal immigrants.

      It’s bad enough that the taxpayer is expected to pay for the gimmegrants board and lodging but to be screwed for legal fees etc rubs salt in the wounds.

      1. Or simply confiscate their funds to pay for the board & lodgings of those they’ve helped to ‘migrate’….

    6. It is hight time that this so-called charity was turned over to find out where its funding is coming from. The failure to do so perhaps suggests that it is in receipt of money from British taxpayers and also some dodgy foreign sources.

    3. What astonishes me about this cartoon is that he manages to miss the biggest country on the map.

      Russia is suffering from a depleted population and a lot of empty space to fill. I suggest the fellow spins round clockwise a bit.

  9. “Scared of water” – yeah, right. Crossed the Med; crossed the Channel – but don’t care for the 4 star cruise ship….

    Unspeakable bastards – and that’s just the “lawyers”….

    1. You would think that a safe country providing free accommodation, bennies and three free meals a day would be quite attractive after leaving war-torn France…

  11. 375298+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Tuesday 8 August: Britain’s bewildering failure to exploit home-grown nuclear technology

    “Bewildering failure” depends from which side it is viewed, by the decent indigenous, total failure, by the politico’s a resounding success.

    As with our buried treasures (Gas) along with small nuclear
    generators we should be world leaders, instead we are world leaders at supporting money making scams ( Money mills)
    via our continuing voting pattern.

    The fact is the majority voter is fully behind the governing parties and their repress, replace, RESET campaign as seen by the voting input.

    1. I don’t think that the majority voter is fully behind the governing parties, ogga 1, just that they don’t really think about matters – which is why Churchill used to call them “the sheeple”. And it is also why thinking Jews in the early 1930s sent their children out of the country in the Kindertransport to Britain and in the case of many adults (such as Einstein) fled to the USA. However the majority of Jewish “sheeple” were more fully behind taking the trains to those luxury holiday destinations of Buchenwald and Auschwitz. The same will happen when today’s non-thinking “sheeple” are confronted with the country having become a bankrupt Muslim 6th Century state.”Who’da thought it?”

      1. It takes huge courage to leave one’s home behind for an uncertain future. That’s why so many abuse victims stay in place for so long.

      2. 375298+ up ticks,

        Morning EB,

        I see it as the majority voters put the party before ALL else as in “you gotta vote tory keep out lab”no matter the odious consequences.

        Family tree voters, great granddad, granddad,dad.

        I disagree with Winnie via the simple fact, I have yet to witness a sheep in a polling booth.
        Peoples are to blame for these last 40 years of treacherous torment the sheep completely innocent.
        The result of adhering to
        this supporting these rabid
        treacherous politico’s is, many premature deaths, sad to say with many,many more to follow.

        1. I come from a family consisting of generations of staunch Labour voters. I was forced to listen to all their (repetitiously tedious) arguments in favour of the Labour party.

          I then made my own mind up and bucked that trend.

          1. My grandfather, a rural Devon GP, ran in a local election in the Conservative Party interest. When one of his election posters was besmirched with red Devonshire earth which had been hurled at it he made a very apt response which worked both literally and metaphorically:

            Mud thrown is ground lost.

      3. 375298+ up ticks,
        EB,
        Since the devils disciple lifted the latch on the entry gate,the electoral majority have had their children raped & abused, friends/relatives killed / maimed, in my book them issues are enough reason for some very.very,serious thinking.

          1. 375298+ up ticks,

            Afternoon EB
            Then they must suffer as their children will surely suffer.
            The mindset of many is short term gain long term pain.

    2. I don’t think that the majority voter is fully behind the governing parties, ogga 1, just that they don’t really think about matters – which is why Churchill used to call them “the sheeple”. And it is also why thinking Jews in the early 1930s sent their children out of the country in the Kindertransport to Britain and in the case of many adults (such as Einstein) fled to the USA. However the majority of Jewish “sheeple” were more fully behind taking the trains to those luxury holiday destinations of Buchenwald and Auschwitz. The same will happen when today’s non-thinking “sheeple” are confronted with the country having become a bankrupt Muslim 6th Century state.”Who’da thought it?”

  12. Ukrainian commander admits ‘a lot’ of men lost early in counter-offensive and some ‘mentally broken’. 7 August 2023.

    “I lost a lot,” Oleksandr, 28, the battalion commander of the 37th Marine Brigade, told the New York Times.

    “And some of the new guys are mentally broken,” he added.

    Ukraine does not publish figures for its losses, but a Western official recently said Kyiv had suffered “more than 100,000 casualties” since the start of the war.

    Judging by the changed language, tone and focus in the articles the Ukies are fought out in the land war. The propaganda is now seeking to let its believers down gently.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/07/ukraine-marines-lost-lot-of-men-counter-offensive-russia/

    1. War is horrid – we are kidding ourselves to pretend otherwise, and this is as much directed at Russia as it is to their estranged blood-brothers.

      Comparisons have been made with WW2, and the run-up to the Ukraine invasion bears more resemblance to the hubristic intentions of tyrants in the 1930s than it does to the political machinations when a new generation took over from Victoria’s children.

      Feminists might ponder that if, when Victoria died, princesses were allowed precedence over their younger brothers, as is the case today with Princess Charlotte and her younger brother Prince Louis, the British King in 1914 would have been Kaiser Wilhelm (as William V) and WW1 might never have happened. Hindsight is full of parallel universes though.

      Going back to Ukraine today however, since both sides have dug themselves in either side of that river, it is rapidly resembling Belgium and Northern France during WW1, when both sides lost a generation of their finest wastefully and needlessly, and Cenotaphs were erected all over Europe to declare “never again”.

      That was was only resolved when one side had tanks and the other didn’t. The most damning legacy of the 20th century was that wars can only be won with superior firepower. Some still voice might timidly suggest that better there were no wars at all.

      I used to joke on this forum “I blame Putin”, because he seemed to be being scapegoated for all that was wrong in the West. Since 24th February 2022, I no longer do so because I mean it in earnest. There is a world of a difference between smashing through a frontier with a lot of tanks and manipulating a change of Government by dubious means in a place where a sizeable and aggrieved Opposition is a fact of life.

      1. Superior firepower has always won.
        At Agincourt, the sky was black with arrows being fired from the English side.
        Edit: plus superior discipline. Hence the Romans and the Normans being winners.

      2. Superior firepower has always won.
        At Agincourt, the sky was black with arrows being fired from the English side.
        Edit: plus superior discipline. Hence the Romans and the Normans being winners.

    2. The true figure is somewhere between 300,000 and 350,000 dead on the Ukrainian side with a similar number badly wounded. The population of Ukraine has halved with many refugees intending never to go back. The Biden administration has destroyed a nation and the UK government is complicit. They are criminals.

      Colonel Douglas McGregor and Scott Ritter expose the truth.

    3. The true figure is somewhere between 300,000 and 350,000 dead on the Ukrainian side with a similar number badly wounded. The population of Ukraine has halved with many refugees intending never to go back. The Biden administration has destroyed a nation and the UK government is complicit. They are criminals.

      Colonel Douglas McGregor and Scott Ritter expose the truth.

      1. Morning Joseph. The number of MSM articles supporting them have dropped off markedly and the Establishment Trolls have pulled their heads back under their bridges.

      2. There’s an idiot still flying one on the A49, but they have long since disappeared from the local cricket club and the burger van on the A41.

  13. Good Moaning.

    “I’ve been groped by five male MPs, says Parliament’s standards chief Chris Bryant”
    Is he boasting or complaining?

      1. :-). My thoughts as well.
        Now, if he’d chosen pink and/or glittery Y-Fronts ….

        1. Thanks Annie, that picture I now have to take with me to breakfast. I shall need extensive counselling before the day is out.

    3. If one is going to behave like some tart on ‘only fans’ you shouldn’t complain when people think you are ‘easy’.

  14. “Member’ of Parliament who distributed a video of himself in his Y-fronts is now chairman of the Parliamentary Standards Committee.
    Caligula, Nero and Domitian would be proud.

    1. Incredible that this is happening in our lifetimes.
      The fall since 1997 has been particularly swift.

  15. ‘Morning, Peeps. A dry and partly sunny day in prospect, so more gardening (damn).

    Today’s leading letter:

    SIR – In 2006 I had the privilege of spending a day on HMS Vengeance, the 18,000-ton submarine moored in Faslane. During the visit we were shown the nuclear engine made by Rolls-Royce.

    I wrote to Sir Ralph Robins, who had been chairman of the company, suggesting that it could make mini power stations. His reply was that it had put forward its designs, only for the government of the day to show no interest whatsoever.

    The present Government has now invited a competition to make these mini power stations, or small modular reactors (Letters, August 7), which I would suggest is a gross insult to Rolls-Royce and has resulted in many lost years of lead time.

    Warwick Banks
    Ketton, Rutland

    Quite right, Mr Banks, and with this government’s stupidity and indolence goes many well-paid real jobs (not the pretend greenie ones), an export market and a valuable contribution to future prosperity. I can only conclude that it really does hate us.

  16. Good morning all.
    A bright & sunny start today with scattered cloud and a cooler 7½°C on the yard thermometer.
    The dry weather is forecast to continue for the day and, indeed, up to Friday where light showers are possible.

  17. Man convicted after ‘aggressive’ protest against drag queen event at Tate Britain. 8 August 2023.

    A man has been found guilty of a public order offence after protesting against a drag queen story-telling event for children at Tate Britain.

    Lance O’Connor, of Plaistow in east London, was accused of being “aggressive and intimidating” towards organisers and attenders and making comments that were motivated by “hostility relating to sexual orientation and transgender identity”.

    The 59-year-old had denied two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

    This is the sort of country we now live in where Paedophilia and Perversion is enshrined in the Law!

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/07/man-convicted-after-aggressive-protest-against-drag-queen-event-at-tate-britain

      1. The Duke of Gloucester’s legitimate son, Edgar, assumes the scanty and deranged attire of a Bedlam beggar to escape being captured and slaughtered by his bastard brother, Edmond, and the infamous Duke of Cornwall.

    2. What terrible state of affairs the idiots in this country have elected to follow.
      It seems that they and not only politicians, but also the police and judiciary are doing as much damage to our culture and social structure as they possibly can.
      How did this happen ?

    3. What about the children who felt threatened by the drag queen story telling?
      That kind of theatrical stuff and adults thrusting their bodies at children made me very uncomfortable as a child. Children don’t want to see adult bodies on display.

  19. Good morning all,

    Still down in Chichester redecorating daughter’s new home. I’ve got some time while I wait for breakfast to be served so I thought I’d pop on to say hello. It’s grey here, raining by 11 am.

    From today’s Gatesograph letters:

    SIR – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (“Britain cowers as China leads revolution in clean tech”, Business, August 2) is wrong to condone the granting of new drilling licences for oil and gas. If developed countries such as Britain do not choose to leave fossil fuels in the ground, what chance do we have of persuading poorer countries to do the same?

    We should be leading by example; and numerous surveys show that the Government is seriously out of step with most voters, who want positive action to address the climate crisis.

    Britain will not need new oil and gas production if it chooses instead to reduce domestic demand by incentivising micro-generation schemes. This could also obviate the need for much of the new electricity distribution infrastructure currently considered necessary.

    Martin C Lack
    Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

    What a pearler! He thinks we ‘should lead by example’ and the most voters want the non-existent ‘climate crisis’ to be addressed. Why should it fall on us to ‘lead by example’? The aim of the government’s energy policy is to keep industry supplied with the cheapest energy, the people warm in winter and the lights on. Nothing else.

    I’m pleased he likes micro-generation ( RR SMRs) but we need to get fracking on the Bowland shales and other places as well as drilling in the North Sea.

    I reckon the letter is a globalist’s plant.

    1. a ‘globalist’s plant’ – That’ll be a cross between Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed …..

      1. Mr Lacklustre sounds like the ungracious pastor mentioned in the Danish play who treads the primrose path himself and most probably does nothing of environmental “virtue” himself.

        Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
        Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
        Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,
        Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
        And recks not his own rede.

    3. Good morning Fiscal..

      So you like decorating .. if you are down this way, I could do with a hand , the sportsmen in this family are too busy with their own interests , ours hasn’t been tackled thoroughly for years .

    4. A stupid letter from Martin C Lack-of-common-sense! Some good management speak too – “incentivising”, “obviate” etc – and if he really believes that numerous surveys mean that voters want to pay lots more for less then he too should beware of bridge salesmen!

    5. I think Martin C Lack is AmFagash’s latest avatar.
      The DT ban him and he bounces back with a new identity, some 2 or 3 times a day.

      1. I really don’t miss AmFagash from my days in the DT site. Still, there’s a similar leftard bore on the Pressreader comments – number 1337something or other and worst of all, it’s impossible to block.

  21. Morning all 🙂😊
    The grey is back no sunshine today.
    Headline comment, at one stage in the 50s this country produced more nuclear power than the rest of the world put together.
    But typically our weak and pathetic political classes gave in to the protests. And effed it all up.
    And so it continues.

    1. Start of second week of August and needed to wear a coat when taking dog for a walk – global boiling eh!

        1. Very good!

          Fortunately hound seems immune to cold and has a penchant for jumping into streams in near-freezing temperatures..

  22. SIR – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (“Britain cowers as China leads revolution in clean tech”, Business, August 2)
    is wrong to condone the granting of new drilling licences for oil and
    gas. If developed countries such as Britain do not choose to leave
    fossil fuels in the ground, what chance do we have of persuading poorer
    countries to do the same?

    We should be leading by example; and
    numerous surveys show that the Government is seriously out of step with
    most voters, who want positive action to address the climate crisis.

    Britain
    will not need new oil and gas production if it chooses instead to
    reduce domestic demand by incentivising micro-generation schemes. This
    could also obviate the need for much of the new electricity distribution
    infrastructure currently considered necessary.

    Martin C Lack

    And BTL…

    3 min ago

    Martin Clack seems to have form in scientific circles, but has been shy in declaring his connections.

    I prefer the reasoned view of another geologist made in
    response to an article by Mr Slack in 2019: “In conclusion, it is
    difficult to see how any thoughtful geologist can support the AGW
    hypothesis; I suggest that it is time that the Geological Society
    initiates a debate to review their “position” on AGW rather than jumping
    on a decarbonisation bandwagon, as proposed by Martin Lack. ”

    https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geoscientist/Letters/2019/Debate-before-we-jump

    Mrs M

    1. “We should be leading by example; ” Why? Plenty of Remainer-types saying that we are an insignificant country with no influence on the world stage. If so, who would take any notice of our ‘example’?

      “numerous surveys show that the Government is seriously out of step with most voters, who want positive action to address the climate crisis”. What ‘surveys’? Maybe the question is ‘do you want to save the planet?’ If so, most people would agree. If you ask a further question like ‘would you be prepared to be poorer, colder in winter and not able to travel anywhere?’ then I would guess you would get a different answer.

  23. in Sir Jasper’s absence:

    What’s pink and wrinkly and hangs out underpants?

    Grandma.….

    2. Why are elephants big grey and wrinkled?Because if they were small, round and white they’d be aspirins

      1. I heard that as because if they were small and yellow they would be canaries.

    3. Why are elephants big grey and wrinkled?Because if they were small, round and white they’d be aspirins

  25. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8d7d4e3fb74c02d1723db2bb112496ab492ef2a25034c0859e3740e25dafbf5d.png
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/07/net-zero-ban-off-grid-homes-new-oil-boilers-tory-revolt/

    A couple of BTL comments:

    Rob Cook

    Meanwhile the rest of the world are laughing their heads off at the stupidity of British politicians!

    Reply by Percival Wrattstangler

    Like Bob Monkhouse’s friends and family when he actually did become a comedian : We’re not laughing now!
    We must not forget that the Net Zero nonsense was accelerated by Evila May and Bonker Boris put knobs on it.

    1. It started with Millipede and mindless MPs of all stripes nodding through his Climate Change Act.
      Then Windmill Dave gave it wings.

  26. Explainer: What’s behind the Niger coup? 8 August 2023.

    Despite accusations against Wagner, Nigeriens have a high opinion of the Russians and a certain admiration for Putin. He is seen as a strong man who fights against what most Nigeriens see as the negative values of the west – attitudes to homosexuality, rejection of religion, and alleged Islamophobia. It’s the same feeling among a good part of Ecowas populations. The west is seen as decadent, while Russia is seen as the last defender of the moral values dear to Africans, such as marriage between men and women and respect for religion.

    They are not all that dumb then? The truth is that despite the intricacies of the Geopolitics behind Ukraine Vlad is on the side of the Little Guy. Our enemies are in Westminster, Washington and Brussels!

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/aug/08/explainer-whats-behind-the-niger-coup

    1. We taught them well and then abandoned our own teaching in favour of everything we taught them not to do and understandably, they’re not impressed. Russia both maintains our former standards and gives grain to Africa. Wot’s not to luv.

  27. Slept badly last night so I’m going back to bed. Good morning and God bless gentlefolk, for now.

    1. Very interesting.
      I wonder if the bbc were worried that the extra terrestrial’s might have been trained nurse’s who would undermine their propaganda.
      I knew Noel Edmods in the early 70s, a decent guy. I fitted his kitchen when he lived in Brooklands Drive North London.
      He drove a silver Jenson Intercepter.
      I had an MGB GT.

      1. So did I – with sunroof and overdrive
        Edmonds used to have evening meals at The Bull in Long Melford. I saw him with his wife/floozie quite often

        1. Mine had a sunroof and 6 forward gears. Twin spots and a chrome nudge bar.
          Noel was with his first wife Gill at the time.
          My car had a great story.
          I dont have time right now.

  29. Morning all. Lazy lie in today (I’m on holiday 🙂)

    Migrants avoid move to Bibby Stockholm over ‘severe fear of water’

    Such a fear of water they paid to get onto an overpcrowded RIB for a twenty mile journey in open Seas with no life jacket?

    1. It is well known that Pakis don’t like water. It’s why have have no need of soap.

    3. Oh they get a life jacket. If they die they can’tclaim bennies which go to the slavers to pay for the crossing.

      The government has the tools to undo all of this at a stroke. To remove them and prevent them ever coming back and to drag the ones who squawk straight back to France. It refuses to repeal those laws.

  30. Good on the Daily Mail, they have investigated and dobbed in several dodgy legal firms, who have been charging illegal immigrants thousands of pounds by making fake and false claims in order to try and stay in the UK. Hopefully many more fake claims will be uncovered. And the so called legal practices shut down.

    1. Daily Mail comes in for a lot of criticism and rightly so. They have an awful lot of clickbait articles too but their campaigning record is better than any other paper.

      1. The Daily Mail is one of the best and one of the worst newspapers at the same time. Indeed it is so full of photos of semi naked girls with black patches covering their exposed nipples that one tends to overlook the fact that at its best it is considerably more incisive than The Daily Telgraph, The Grauniad and The Times.

        This reminds me of the pitiful scene where the old King Lear is uttering rambling, demented nonsense with the occasional ray of perception.

        O matter and impertinency mixed! Reason in madness!​

        2. There’s so little news in the Mail though, and more than half of what there is is pure propaganda!

  31. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4fda03209084a9e70bd0b6fd6a70265db9aaeb229532965028c7091d7c9c10e7.png
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/07/george-floyd-police-officer-handed-heavier-sentence/

    American justice is even further up Excrement Estuary than British justice!

    A few BTL comments:

    Mickey Mouse

    I have to say the George Floyd trial is right up their with the OJ Simpson trial. It is all about race and little to do with justice. Those 4 cops had no chance. I personally don’t believe that any them should have been convicted of murder. Chauvin MAY have a case to answer for manslaughter; the other 3 simply followed procedure and would not have been in a position to second guess Chauvin. But there is nothing like an angry black radical/white liberal.

    Reply by Steve Hale to Mickey Mouse.

    That’s right. In the moment they are making big calls, their first one should be for their own safety, then the safety of those around, then lastly the safety the of the criminal. This is a political trial, it’s really saddening to see the effect the outcomes of these have on the lives of ordinary folk. No longer to people intervene or help, the police are less willing to get involved, and it’s the criminals that get all the protection, those law abiding citizens are thrown to the wolves.

    TC George

    Biden pre-judges everybody. Including Hunter, which is blatant interference or obstruction. What do you think his employee, the Attorney General, does when Biden announces Hunter “did nothing wrong”? Obama did the exact same thing. Announced Hillary did nothing wrong. A few weeks later Jim Comey shuts the case.

    Percival Wrattstrangler reply to TC George

    And Tony Blair said David Blunkett did nothing wrong when he tried to break up the marriage of his former mistress who returned to her husband with the child Blunkett had fathered. Blunkett had done nothing illegal – but what he did was vilely and morally WRONG!

    1. That is just spite.
      They were completely stitched up by an elite that was looking for a case on which to hang a BLM movement and a series of riots that were conveniently centred around streets where grants are available for re-development.

      If justice was in the picture and this method of restraining suspects was unacceptable, they would have gone after the police who knelt on the neck of a white man and killed him a couple of years earlier.

    2. That the officers were jailed was a travesty. Floyd was a career criminal with a string of convictions. We are better off without his sort. That his drug addled death spewed the excrement of racism is ludicrous.

    3. Why should he have any remorse? He wasn’t even the one with the knee on Floyd’s neck.

  32. My neighbours are starting to get jittery about the looming ban on oil fired boilers……..so it seems are some rural Tory MPs. We have no gas here and all except one neighbour use oil fired heating. The exception is my next door neighbour, whose husband had a heat pump installed, shortly before he left her. It’s an ugly great brute, with massive pipework and internal tanks.
    Just going round to said neighbour for coffee and a catch up. Back later.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/07/net-zero-ban-off-grid-homes-new-oil-boilers-tory-revolt/

    New oil boilers will be banned in off-grid homes within three years, with households encouraged to switch to heat pumps under government proposals to help cut heating emissions.

    George
    Eustice, who was environment secretary in Boris Johnson’s government,
    is now calling for the ban to be dropped – describing the policy as “a
    Ulez for rural communities”.

    1. What if, as is likely, the electricity grid cannot deliver the power needed for all those heat pumps? Chilly winters, I suppose.

      2. We’ll have to double the size of our woodshed for the log burner. Until they ban the woodburners as well.

          1. In our little hamlet, we nearly all have woodburners and oil fired heating. My neighbour with the inefficient heat pump supplements hers with the woodburner.

    2. With the potential ban in mind I thought I would buy a replacement oil burner (not the complete boiler) so I went up into the loft where I had the box for my old one so I could get the product number. Nice surprise – it was full of a new burner except for the pump. So I must have used that and kept the rest JIC, I vaguely remember buying it now so I’m alright if they ban them as long as I can get the oil

      1. “As long as i can get the oil…”
        “as long as we can get petrol/diesel”
        “As long as there is electricity”

        They are not interested in providing this stuff. They will shit ot off in a heartbeat.

      2. The companies that currently deliver your oil will have gone out of business, along with the firms that service your boiler.

        2. My oil boiler servicer is a Brexiteer. I’m hoping he’ll keep going just to spite the government!

    3. No one seems to have put together the outpouring of sewage against the massive cost of electricity. When the fine is lower than the cost, this is the end result.

      This country needs lots of cheap energy. Our energy should cost about 5p a KWh. Instead it is over 9 times that. We’ve already seen shortages of food. Then there was mass pollution of water ways. Yes, the state keeps shouting “Look! over there!” to distract the ignorant but pretty soon there will be a real problem they can’t disguise.

      The one saving grace is that when the power goes out properly, when they close petrol stations then we can go for them and there will be no one coming to help them.

      1. Don’t forget when they ban meat and farming of animals, and we’re all forced to go vegan or eat the bugs – the countryside will be overgrown and ‘rewilded’. We’ll probably all be dead by then.

        1. If round here is anything to go by, once the animals have gone, the fields will be built over.

  33. Good morning, all. Nice day here at the moment but radar showing showers approaching from the NW.

    Picked up on this earlier this morning and now someone has added the ‘optics’ re the late Queen, the Pope and Trump.
    The lady being interviewed, Dr. Jan Halper-Hayes has been successful in her life and enjoys a fine reputation.

    https://twitter.com/p_beejal/status/1688567812405530625

    One not very amused pontiff.

      1. Roughly 70,000 tonnes of gold if flown on 747 freighters; about 1/4 of the world’s total, including reserves not yet dug up!

      2. I heard that figure of 650 planes from a video about gold investment as well.
        I am guessing that a lot of the planes were escorting the gold, or carrying personnel/supplies/equipment?
        After all, they have about twenty huge cars every time one President goes anywhere!

  34. Good morning, all. Nice day here at the moment but radar showing showers approaching from the NW.

    Picked up on this earlier this morning and now someone has added the ‘optics’ re the late Queen, the Pope and Trump.
    The lady being interviewed, Dr. Jan Halper-Hayes has been successful in her life and enjoys a fine reputation.

    https://twitter.com/p_beejal/status/1688567812405530625

    One not very amused pontiff.

  35. Looks like Kahnt is panicking after his efforts to increase his domination of the home counties with his dastardly ULEZ Scheme.
    He’s now claiming that White Van Man would be healthier if the zone was extended. I think even the much hated and demonized
    van drivers have probably noticed that wind might be a dominant factor in clearing the over stated pollution.
    The Labour Party are talking to him but he ain’t taking any notice. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of him

      1. Read the letter above Elsie.
        I wonder how many electric white vans have been manufactured ……zero.

    2. RE, imagine the outcome if Khan does have aspirations to be leader of the Labour party and potential PM? It’s clear from a number of his decisions that he has no desire to understand the outcomes of his actions or listen to the people affected by those actions. A little tyrant.
      The idea that he could extend his ULEZ fiefdom across the SE of England is terrifying. There would be an almighty outcry from the County Councils re any incursion on to their turf – Hertfordshire have already made that clear – and especially if he attempted to make money from areas that aren’t his to dictate to.
      The sooner he is ousted, the better for all concerned.

    3. London has 2 populations. The white folk who work there and live elsewhere, and the ethnics who live off the back of the white folk and live on welfare.

      The former want Khan gone because, well, he’s revolting. The latter want him to stay because he keeps giving them money.

    5. It was clear that problems with pollution had nothing to do with the LEZ; the M25 runs over the zone! With cars parked nose to tail with their engines idling, you can’t get much more polluting!

  36. I don’t watch ladies’ wendyball – but I did notice that the Nigerian XI was hideously black. Why is there no outcry about such teams leaving out white players?

    Just asking…

    Incidentally, the black English wendyballiste who “stamped” on a Nigerian lady – said Nigeria demands that black English player be “shown respect”…..

    Yer gotta larf.

    1. None of that would have happened Bill if the referee had awarded a foul against the Nigerian, who throughout the game committed many fouls and was never punished for it. I agree it was a long way from “stamping” !

          1. There do seem to have been a lot of ‘ball hits ref’ stoppages. Not sure whether that’s down to poor pass by player or poor positioning by ref.

        3. I didn’t watch the match but I saw that incident and it was disgustingly deliberate and shameful.

    3. I haven’t watched any of the matches, but from the news reports, the Wimmins Football seems to be a sort of extension to the pride parades, with gossip about relationships between players. What a sordid society we live in where everything has to be sexualised.

      1. There does seem to be an over-abundance of the followers of Sappho in the England team (and some others).

    1. “This is how the elites control us the sheep.”

      “Pump their bodies full of sugar (poison).”

      No me, ducky, not me! But well said that woman. This should be shown to all the sheep.

      1. Nor me. I use very little sugar, never add it to anything and rarely eat biscuits and cakes. I never drink fizzy drinks either. Though I do drink wine.

        1. Last week I watched a YouTube video where a doctor said, “… sugar is the equivalent of cyanide: both poison the mitochondria.”

      2. Nor me. I use very little sugar, never add it to anything and rarely eat biscuits and cakes. I never drink fizzy drinks either. Though I do drink wine.

  38. This is spot on it more or less proves exactly what the majority believe ……

    Before going any further, let me state that as a Londoner who has never owned any kind of motor vehicle, I have no dog in this fight, and like people everywhere I would rather breathe clean air than pollution. Having said that, what Sadiq Khan is doing now is insanity. If you haven’t heard of Sadiq Khan, he is the devout Moslem who promotes gay pride parades in London; he has also been its Mayor since May 2016.
    Khan’s predecessor was Boris Johnson, who went on to serve as Prime Minister. Under his tenure, plans were introduced to make the capital an Ultra Low Emission Zone for all road vehicles – hence the acronym. This necessitated the extreme monitoring of vehicles, which was not that much of a problem because London was already a Low Emission Zone, the infrastructure having been installed in the previous decade. The LEZ came into being on February 4, 2008, and before that, from February 17, 2003, there was the congestion charge.
    The original pretext for LEZ and now ULEZ was of course clean air, but there was also a desire to reduce the traffic in London, hence the more honestly named congestion charge. This isn’t a bad idea in itself; one of the few good things to come out of the Covid lockdowns was the realisation that a lot of travel is unnecessary, especially for work. Sadly, work isn’t yet unnecessary, but that is another issue.
    Anyone who ventures into especially Central London and who has done so regularly as I have since the 1980s will have detected little if any difference in the volume of traffic under either the congestion charge or LEZ. Most motorists have tended to grit their teeth and pay the charge. That has all changed with what most of them consider a liberty if not an outrage. As things stand, the ULEZ will come into force on August 29 being extended to cover most of Greater London and indeed beyond it. London is not an easy place to define. Central London consists of the City of Westminster and the City of London (the Square Mile), but it has been fluid over the years. For example, both Bayswater in West London and Hackney in the North East were once in Middlesex, as was Hayes, where I grew up, and even Uxbridge, another four miles or so further west.
    If Khan gets his way, all drivers (and motorcyclists) in the Greater London Area who are not driving exempt vehicles will be forced to fork out £12.50 per day or face heavy fines. There is a bit more to it than this, but the bottom line is that this policy, if it comes into force, will trash many small businesses as well as making it uneconomical for many people in lower income brackets to drive to work or drive at all.
    Five London boroughs objected to ULEZ and applied for a judicial review of Khan’s decision; they were rejected. As an elected mayor, Khan has a duty to consider public opinion before taking such momentous decisions. A public consultation was held on ULEZ, and in spite of massive opposition to it, he decided to go ahead anyway, indeed, he had already ordered the cameras before ULEZ was confirmed. A better idea would have been some sort of vote, but he would probably have ignored that too. In addition to cleaner air, Khan has tacked on the so-called fight against climate change to his scheme, but as he is an enthusiastic supporter of the World Economic Forum, no one should be surprised. Let’s just see him try to turn London into a 15 minute city.
    It is common knowledge that Khan and his followers are totally out of touch with the way real people live, and that he told a pack of lies in order to promote this scheme. How does a painter and decorator or plumber answer house calls if he cannot afford the daily charge or a new compliant vehicle, is he supposed to travel on buses and trains with a ladder and paint brushes or a cabinet full of plumber’s tools? What about a young mother who wants to pick up her kids from a school four or five miles away or take them to school in the morning? Do we really want infants, especially girls, travelling by bus alone when unnecessary?
    In Khan’s view, people who oppose it are extreme conservatives or even Nazis. He claimed that four thousand people in London die prematurely every year due to pollution from traffic, a claim that is clearly nonsense. Difficult though it may be for younger people to believe, the air quality in London has never been better. In the 1950s, there were “pea soupers”; check out some of the archive footage on YouTube of the Great Smog of 1952.
    The staggering cost of the ULEZ charge will also force those businesses that survive to raise their prices. Travel including transporting goods uses energy. A modern city, a modern nation, needs cheap energy to run. This is why the cost of living in isolated places is so much more expensive. Here is how Iceland compares with the UK.
    Leaving aside Khan’s association with the WEF, there is a lot more to this scheme than a simple money grab. Labour’s Angela Rayner, who is renowned for her big mouth, let slip that the end goal is to charge drivers by the mile, those drivers who survive. This would necessitate extremely intrusive surveillance, including meters in all electric vehicles. And if it isn’t stopped now, there is no reason to believe it will stop with London. Indeed, a number of UK cities already have their own versions of ULEZ and more are planned. Other countries also have them, although they go by various names:
    Umweltzonen in German; Miljozone in Denmark, etc.

    1. There still *is* a Congestion charge which now operates for 364 days a year – in ADDITION to the ULEZ

      1. I can’t answer that because I would never dream of driving in London ever again. The congestion has mainly been caused by that horrible little git in his act of closing side roads off with barriers and forcing people to drive on the main roads.
        Our youngest use to have to drive in London for work and he suffered 300 pounds worth of fines, but the no left turns etc notices were put up through a weekend and half way up lamp post so drivers couldn’t see them.

      2. Do you mean that it now applies between 18.00 Friday and 06.00 Monday? Those days used to be exempt.

    2. I’m still trying to work out how paying £12.50 a day converts car exhaust fumes into Alpine meadow breezes.

  39. I don’t follow this kind of technical financial reporting, mainly because I don’t understand it, but I liked the conclusion of this post – gloomy realistic enough for NOTTL!

    Sven Henrich
    @NorthmanTrader
    ·
    Aug 6
    Winning ’23 style:
    Credit card debt at a record $1 trillion w/ the highest interest rates ever.
    Car affordability at all time lows.
    Housing affordability at 37 year lows.
    But no recession cause the government is blowing a massive deficit.
    The future is bright cause it’s on fire.

      1. Are you asking me that question? I looked up historical credit card interest rates, and apparently the Federal Reserve only started tracking them in 1994. So “highest ever” means since 1994…
        Of course, very few Britons had credit cards in the 70s and early 80s.

          2. I was furious. I cut mine up and gave it to the bank manager (remember them?)

            It led directly to a section in the Consumer Credit Act 1974: “It is an offence to supply a person with a credit card unless he has asked for it.”

          1. I can’t find any data going back to the 70s, but nobody we knew had a credit card in the 70s (back of beyond!) Clearly NOTTLers were a prosperous lot!

          2. I was a student at the time! I had a Barclays account (the only bank on campus, despite the protests) and the Barclaycard came with it. It was 1974 before I bought anything on credit with it. Its main purpose was as a cheque guarantee card.

  40. US politician reports ‘sobering’ briefing on Ukrainian counteroffensive. 8 August 2023.

    They’re still going to see, for the next couple of weeks, if there is a chance of making some progress. But for them to really make progress that would change the balance of this conflict, I think, it’s extremely, highly unlikely.

    This is just a part (the Telegraph is up to the same thing) of preparing the public for the failure of the counter-attack and the realisation that the Ukies cannot possibly prevail in their attempts to regain the Donbass and Crimea.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/aug/08/russia-ukraine-war-live-updates-moscow-missile-attack-pokrovsk-injuries-deaths?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-64d21de28f083b553df028a1#block-64d21de28f083b553df028a1

    1. I’ll bet the insurance company is laughing! I would like to know the ethnicity of the developers. Lol!

    2. All sounds dodgy – sold to an unnamed developer, mysteriously catches fire and the fire-fighters can’t get easy access due to large mounds of earth on the approach roads! Probably all a coincidence??

    5. There was a church over here that developer wanted to demolish and replace with some fancy new shops.

      The council refused to grant a demolition permit so a few Sundays later, the builder just tore down enough of the building to make it unsafe. When the council workers finally got back from their weekend off, it was to late to do anything but demand that the rest was taken down.

      Council had the last laugh, they refuse to issue a building permit on the vacant land.

    6. There was a church over here that developer wanted to demolish and replace with some fancy new shops.

      The council refused to grant a demolition permit so a few Sundays later, the builder just tore down enough of the building to make it unsafe. When the council workers finally got back from their weekend off, it was to late to do anything but demand that the rest was taken down.

      Council had the last laugh, they refuse to issue a building permit on the vacant land.

    7. Colchester had a spate of convenient fires in buildings that might impede development plans.
      Severalls Hospital’s main hall remained standing and there were plans to put a preservation order on it – it would have provided a good venue for Colchester. It had a stage and a sprung dance floor. It burnt down one night; it was a solid building so would have required serious application to burn down before help could arrive.
      Sergeant’s Mess in the old barracks area – same thing.
      Grotty Victorian building – damaged by years of use by social services and up for redevelopment; twice in one week it caught fire. Luckily for the developers, the second time, the damage was more extensive.
      Amazingly, each time houses and blocks of flats were crammed into those areas. How lucky was that?

      1. As with Bingley Hall, red-brick exhibition hall in Birmingham city centre. It stood in the way of the proposed International Convention Centre so there were moves to incorporate the hall with the new ICC.
        The hall mysteriously caught fire, of course.

    8. I saw that today, not long after I’d told my friend (who hadn’t heard) about the fire.

  44. ‘The 20 refusing to move on are being supported by the Care4Calais charity, which said that individuals had successfully avoided being transferred for reasons including a man suffering from loss of sight, an asylum seeker who had survived torture, slavery victims and others who had had “traumatic experiences at sea”.

    The charity said some had lodged appeals based on their “severe fear of water”, having witnessed people drown at sea, and accused the Home Office of failing to carry out adequate screening of individuals they intended to accommodate on the barge.’

    Unbelievably, there have been suggestions that the ‘Portland Refusenicks’ might not be telling the complete truth with their claims and may have been coached and even learnt a script. How dare anyone not take the word of ‘passport chuckers’?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/08/alex-chalk-bibby-stockholm-barge-migrants-cant-pick-hotel/

    4. The solution is obvious.
      Throw the gimmigrants off the barge and hand them a few tents, then make the barge accommodation available to all of those homeless indigenous people.

      Don’t like it? Here is a free Eurostar ticket (I expect that a ferry would be cheaper but the little darlings are scared of the water)..

    5. The solution is obvious.
      Throw the gimmigrants off the barge and hand them a few tents, then make the barge accommodation available to all of those homeless indigenous people.

      Don’t like it? Here is a free Eurostar ticket (I expect that a ferry would be cheaper but the little darlings are scared of the water)..

    1. This is all very peculiar as many people have owned different types of mobile battery powered disability accessories for years. And never a single fire has occurred otherwise we would have heard of it.

      1. I assume these are lithium batteries rather than the older lead-acid or nickel-cadmium.

        1. Yes probably correct, which means someone needs to urgently take this growing problem on board.

        2. Phones have lithium batteries and get bashed around and dropped in the loo etc, and fires are pretty rare, especially considering that there are far more phones than cars/scooters.

          2. You mean, they go on fire just as often, but never reported in the paper?

            My children have dropped various phones in water without fires, so why is it said that water causes fires in electric cars?

          5. Because they are so small – presumably no enough material to burn for long.

          7. We never leave laptops or phones charging overnight or when we are out of the house.
            Ditto drills, hedge trimmers and so on.

          9. Both my phone (on the bedside table) and my kindle (on the spare pillow) are both on charge all night.

        3. Phones have lithium batteries and get bashed around and dropped in the loo etc, and fires are pretty rare, especially considering that there are far more phones than cars/scooters.

        4. There are fires in electrical devices because of faulty wiring, over voltage, age and accident. If a car ingnites – an incredibly rare event – it’s usuallybecause the wiring has corroded/is wet and a charge ploughs through it – such as an electric battery deciding to charge the other battery when it reports a drop.

          Part of the problem with modern devices is that they’re never really ‘off’. Heck, a computer keeps time thanks to a tiny battery – if that’s missing it can’t boot.

          We had a customer using a laptop as an impromptu server (well, an always on device) and it started to swell in the very hot weather. I told them to unplug it and get it outside immediately. While they were arguing over the price of temporary kit it exploded.

    2. I have a strong suspicion that e-bikes and e-scooters are used with little regard for what their owners think is minor damage, but in fact is serious enough to lead to these blazes.

    1. Yes but,……….. as has been posted previously, it’s never the village idiots who cause all the problems, its the people who believe they are well organised clever and usually pretentious and rather pompous.

        1. Me neither. Apparently they are a delicacy in Puglia. They have festivals where they gorge on them.
          Sea Urchins destroy coral so it’s good to eat as many as possible.
          They are available in the UK but at £20 each i think i’ll give it a swerve. Probably work out cheaper to go to Puglia.

          BTW some jellyfish are edible.

          1. The single-most delicious mouthful of food I have ever experienced was a Sydney rock oyster, served on the half shell with all its juices, that had a tiny amount of freshly-grated ginger, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a dash of mirin.

            It was simply orgasmic!

          4. Not tried rock oysters. Sounds great.
            When i go to Loch Fyne restaurants i like a plate of oysters but i have to be sure to use the loo before i leave as they can go through me very fast.

            Abalone is another seafood i haven’t tried yet. I saw them being farmed in New Zealand. They grow them in tanks with fresh seawater running over them. Takes about 5 years to grow to marketable size. Not that you have to do much to maintain them. They also produce semi precious blue pearls. Which alone can worth a lot of money. Sounds like a retirement plan.

          6. Yes. The upper reaches of Portsmouth harbour were navigable once and we still have a tidal creek also fed by springs and the river Wallington.

          10. Yes. The upper reaches of Portsmouth harbour were navigable once and we still have a tidal creek also fed by springs and the river Wallington.

          12. I’ve had abalone. They are a bit on the rubbery side (similar to how whelks are). I suppose it’s how you prepare and cook them but I was left a tad underwhelmed.

          13. I have never understood whelks. But then they probably don’t understand me either.

            I do think they need to be cooked by someone who knows what they are doing…not me BTW.

          15. The chinese like them a lot. It was probably them that introduced them to San Fran. Maybe. It is certainly one of the good things about melting pot cultures. Food can bring everyone together.

          16. I came across abalone on my 4 month exchange with the NZ Army. They call them paua and we got them in chip shops in fritter form. Delicious. The chip shops also sold oysters, battered and deep fried! Loved them too.

          17. I would like that. The British are not good on seafood so we don’t get as many choices. Haddock up North and Cod down South. And that seems to be it.

          18. Urchins are a delicacy in Bergen, too.
            Kråkebolle – they made soup out of the spiky blighters.

          19. Didn’t know that. Still…at least you have something to pick your teeth with afterwards.

      2. Complete coincidence. Simply an investment proposed by his stockbrokers…. He had no idea what they did.

  48. Afternoon all,

    After I commented yesterday that I was preparing to boil an egg in a microwave Phizzee got loads of upticks after replying that the egg might explode and I could end up with serious burns.

    I replied that I was going to do it the safe way after BingAI (who replied with a big YES from me!) said it was possible:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ce830cdf4cb9fd81ba7079fc44d8a474ae96be64235b52dec65ea1664329b73d.jpg

    The question now is – do I cook the egg the hard way or the soft way?

      1. I’ve never gone further with the micowave than pressing the one minute option and pressing start.

        It’s much easier to use the AGA that just has two boiling hot plates hot and simmer:.

        I need to establish how to cook when the Government does away with fossil fuels and AGA become redundant.

        At the moment boiling 250 ml of water takes 3 minutes at 1000 watts
        microwave power and uses 0.07 kW energy. Cost = 0.07 x £0.40 at peak rate.

          1. Now there’s a new one on me. I hadn’t heard of multipupose kettles that will boil an egg. Searching online it seems to be especially popular in India but I intend to investigate.

          8. Stop it and behave!

            Kettles — and teapots — are essential for tea. Just as a saucepan is essential for boiled (and poached) eggs.
            Never conflate or confuse the two. You would never use an axe for fine carpentry.

          9. You misunderstand. You still brew the tea in a cup or pot but after you have boiled the egg first in the water !

            There have been some excellent examples of birds of prey and the green man carved into the trunks of trees that need to be cut down using axes and chainsaws. So there !

          10. I did not misunderstand at all.

            1. I do not want to drink tea made with water that has had an egg boiled in it.
            2. I do not want to drink tea that has not been mashed in a teapot.

          1. Part of the tests I’m doing are to see if the battery bank running the greenhouse off grid solar automatic watering system can run the microwave from my 3 kW inverter..

            The short microwave run time needed to heat 250 ml water to boiling (three minutes) suggests that using 0.07 kWh may not be far short of getting the greenhouse to boil an egg.🍧

    3. You can also poach eggs in the microwave but timing is everything because they go from yummy to exploding in about ten seconds.

  49. I had the sound off for this, just the subtitles. It would have been difficult to believe that this was happening in the UK, with people banging their pots and pans to show their support for the sacred cow, had it not been for the various reported experiences of posters on this blog. However, it really did resonate. The era of institutionalised Care and Compassion is over, it is finished.
    https://twitter.com/edthetechie/status/1688893052113293312?s=20

    1. Dreadful.
      A ghastly experience for them both. I know some Nottlers have similar experiences of NHS “care”.

  50. Don’t know if this has already been posted
    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/backlash-grows-against-school-transgender-agenda/
    We had already written to our MP about this and the involvement of Stonewall. He replied asking for specific points to take up with the Education Minister. That’ll be a waste of time as she’s behind it. Anyway have sent this to him.
    I don’t expect to get a satisfactory answer as it would incriminate him and the rest of the anti public barstewards in that place.

  51. This is perhaps just a little too good to be true:

    “BREAKING: The revolutionary government of Niger has responded to the suspension of US aid by telling the US: “We don’t want your money, use it to fund a weight loss program for Victoria Nuland.”

    2. I think they may have said “for your own homeless”
      The power of the internet, eh.

    3. I think they may have said “for your own homeless”
      The power of the internet, eh.

    4. The U.S go in after bribing officials and steal the mineral wealth. At least when China does it they build infrastructure.

    5. The U.S go in after bribing officials and steal the mineral wealth. At least when China does it they build infrastructure.

    6. She was born on July 1st 1961 – the same day as Diana, Princess of Wales.

      (The only reason I am aware of this trivial piece of information is that I was born on 1st July 1946)

  52. Ukraine ‘highly unlikely’ to make major breakthrough. 8 August 2023.

    Ukraine is “highly unlikely” to make a major breakthrough in its counter-offensive to retake territory held by Russia, senior US and Western officials have said, citing “sobering” intelligence.

    Ukraine is struggling to break through Russia’s defensive lines in the east and south of the country and the map has barely changed since the highly anticipated counter-offensive began two months ago.

    “Our briefings are sobering. We’re reminded of the challenges they face,” Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who has recently met with US commanders training Ukrainian forces in Europe, told CNN. “This is the most difficult time of the war.”

    They seem to have speeded this process up a little from when I commented earlier. I would guess that the Russians must be near to a breakthrough themselves on the Northern Border. The threads are even more dire. The gloom from the trolls is palpable. Several have picked up on the “pinned” comments; one describing them as St Petersberg (Sic) posts.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/08/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news-putin-attack-drones/

    1. The longer the war goes on, the smaller Ukraine will be, until they’ve lost all of the land east of the Dnieper as well as Crimea and the Black Sea ports.

        1. If it is allowed to continue along those lines Kiev will resemble Stalingrad after WWII….

        3. I can date that map. It was made between 25/08/91 and 31/12/92.

          On 25/08/91 Byelorussia became Belarus. On 31/12/92 Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

          1. I like that some commentators still refer to Belarus as White Russia, which is the correct English translation of course.

        4. I can date that map. It was made between 25/08/91 and 31/12/92.

          On 25/08/91 Byelorussia became Belarus. On 31/12/92 Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

  53. Ukraine ‘highly unlikely’ to make major breakthrough. 8 August 2023.

    Ukraine is “highly unlikely” to make a major breakthrough in its counter-offensive to retake territory held by Russia, senior US and Western officials have said, citing “sobering” intelligence.

    Ukraine is struggling to break through Russia’s defensive lines in the east and south of the country and the map has barely changed since the highly anticipated counter-offensive began two months ago.

    “Our briefings are sobering. We’re reminded of the challenges they face,” Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who has recently met with US commanders training Ukrainian forces in Europe, told CNN. “This is the most difficult time of the war.”

    They seem to have speeded this process up a little from when I commented earlier. I would guess that the Russians must be near to a breakthrough themselves on the Northern Border. The threads are even more dire. The gloom from the trolls is palpable. Several have picked up on the “pinned” comments; one describing them as St Petersberg (Sic) posts.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/08/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news-putin-attack-drones/

  54. Good morrow, Gentlefolks, today’s story Better late than never

    Recycling
    A man goes to the barber shop for a shave. While the barber is foaming him up, he mentions the problems he has getting a good, close shave around the cheeks.
    “I have just the thing,” says the barber, taking a small wooden ball from a nearby drawer.
    “Just place this between your cheek and gum.”
    The client places the ball in his mouth and the barber proceeds with the closest shave the man has ever experienced. After a few strokes, the client asks: “What happens if I swallow it?”
    “No problem,” says the barber. “Happens all the time! Just bring it back tomorrow like everyone else does.”

  55. A Double Bogey today.

    Wordle 780 6/6
    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
    🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜
    🟩🟩⬜🟩⬜
    🟩🟩⬜🟩⬜
    🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Par today.

      Wordle 780 4/6

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

    2. Par four for me.

      Wordle 780 4/6

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

    3. Par four for me.

      Wordle 780 4/6

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

  57. Thousands of corpses are rotting on the streets of Khartoum
    Health experts warn that decomposing bodies could risk major disease outbreaks, particularly as Sudan approaches cholera season

    My beloved father must be turning in his grave.

    2. Terribly sad. I liked Khartoum, especially the jolly fat ladies that served Sudanese coffee* under the trees across the road from the offices. Plastic chairs and table, small fire and blackened coffee pot, and happy conversation.

      * a blend of espresso, with ginger. Fabulous!

  58. Interesting news from the Côte d’Azur (Sarf of yer France). Right now, high summer, the Mediterranean is 4ºC cooler than recently.

    Global Boiling cools the sea. Clever, eh?

    1. Oh noooo how will all these experts and climate preacher’s cope or come to terms with this.
      Oh yes,……. they will just spew out more lies.

        1. Delingpole’s “Paul isn’t real” article is about to drop – he shared it with subscribers.

    2. Eyup!

      Which Beatle shouted that, in the segue between The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill and While My Guitar Gently Weeps?
      George or John?

  60. That’s me done for today. Mostly sunny. Coolish. Time for a drinky-poo.

    Have a jolly evening.

    A demain

  62. Evening, all. It’s only bewildering if you harbour the mistaken belief that the government wants this country to succeed. Once you realise they want to destroy us for having the temerity to vote to be free, it all makes perfect sense.

    1. I think they wanted to destroy us anyway (regardless of our desire for freedom) according to the cultural Marxist doctrine and the aims of the Frankfurt School and Common Purpose – all leading to collapse and the phoenix to arise from the ashes thereof being communism, but Brexit has given TPTB the green light and full speed ahead in case the electorate have any more tricks up their sleeves. And yes, they hate us and we are the enemy.

  63. War Latest: Ukraine highly unlikely to make major breakthrough
    Opinion: David Axe – Ukraine is winning a crucial part of the land war. It’s nuclear button time for Putin – again
    Vladimir is terrified and knows he is beaten. His nuclear posturing confirms it
    Two headlines next to each other at the top of the DT splash screen. So – which is it, guys?

    1. OT – Paul – have you and Her Indoors watched a Weegie film called

      “The Worst Person in the World”?

      https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10370710/

      Can’t make head nor tail of it – but the MR is captivated…….(yawns and drops off – again)

      And as for the Weegie langwidge – meaningless – like watching a film in Chinese!!

      1. Don’t know that one.
        Language is easy:
        Bekk = beck
        Kirke = kirk
        Kvinne = quine (Doric for woman)
        Mann = man
        Dør = door.
        and so on…

        1. Not when they “speak” it….

          Don’t waste your time with the film. Though ladies seem to like it……………. Record it. Switch it on. Go to pub on your own – return two hours later!!

  64. Meanwhile over the pond….

    “The U.S. brings a new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor online in Georgia, the first in 7 years, signalling a potential nuclear renaissance.”

    1. A pity that Brown sold out Westinghouse GB; that was a strategically incompetent decision – one of many!

          5. He built two giant aircraft carriers, HM Queen Elizabeth and HM Prince of Wales – his farewell gift to Scottish shipyards

            HM Queen Elizabeth has yet to field a credible force of aircraft.

            HM Prince of Wales has been beguiled with transmission problems and remains unfit for purpose.

            Wrong ships; wrong decks, wrong aircraft. They are incompatible with ships and aircraft of our NATO allies.

          7. Pork barrel politics. Who in their right mind would build aircraft carriers without cats and traps bearing in mind the aircraft we had available?

        1. I haven’t seen him for a week or so.

          Edit: Having said that, I would not like anyone to feel pressurised to check in here more frequently than they would want to.

      1. I always thought he was very erudite with his explanations of things I didn’t understand!!!

      1. Not seen anything for a few days. I worry about her. Poor lass, waking up alone in her bed, the space beside her cold and empty.

          2. When prompted, I recognise the names, but could never remember them offhand.
            That Oberstleutnant fellow looks like a bit of a pompous tawt. I’d watch out for him/her/them.

          4. Er… looks at shoes and shuffles feet… polishing one toecap on the back of trouser leg…
            :-*

          9. I think a lot of those are DT letters participants rather than Nottle contributors.

    7. Aberrant Apostrophe

      A Brit Abroad

      Adamaster

      Aeneas

      Aethelfled [Lady of the Mercians]

      Airy Fairy

      Alpalu

      Andrew Banks

      Andrew Lockwood

      Andrew XUK

      Andy Cochrane

      Angie O’Edema

      Anglosaxonmike

      Anna Falactic

      AnneAllan

      Antoncheckout

      Anton Deque

      Araminta Smade

      Ascanius

      Ashes Than Dust

      Assymetric

      Astrantia

      Azfal

      Bassetedge

      Bazzerman

      Bej

      Bill Jackson

      Billyrawmone

      Bionde

      Blackbox 2

      Bleausard [‘Still Bleau’]

      Bob of Bonsall

      Bob 3

      bravooscaroscartango

      Brian

      Bristol Boy

      British Awakening

      Bruce Hamilton

      Bryan Stives

      Bug Spattered Knees

      Buzzard

      Callaspadeaspade [‘Wee Fozzie Bear’]

      Carlmarx

      Caroline Tracey

      Catty & Co

      Cewubaaca

      Cgg

      Chad

      Cheshire Lad

      Chezz

      Citroen1

      Clipstone

      Clydesider

      Cochise 1

      Coffeencake

      CoJaW

      Conister

      Conway

      Corimmobile

      Crockettxx

      Crosscop

      C Thomas Boone

      Cuthbert J Twillie

      Cynarch

      Cynicalm

      Dalekdave

      Damask Rose

      Daniel FG

      Danra2

      Datz

      Dave of Down

      Dave Sauron

      David of Kent

      Delboy 36

      Delilah

      Des

      Devonian in Kent

      Dickgreendoxon

      Dilligaff

      Djang07

      Dodgy Knee

      Domlingus

      Durnovaria

      Edam

      Eddy

      EhCalmDown [‘Ready Eddy’]

      Emilia

      Emilie Lamplough

      Enri d’Aith

      Epidermoid

      Falkirk Bairn

      Feargal the Cat

      Fedup Voter

      Fenman

      Fergus Elder

      Flagellum

      Flashwork

      Flexico

      Fred Uttlescay

      Gagarin1

      Garlands

      Garthrod

      gavinrider [The Central Scrutiniser]

      Genius Loci

      Geoffrey Woollard

      Gladys Pew

      grizzly [‘Olaf Bloodaxe’]

      Grumpy Grey (‘Alf_the_Great’)

      Grumpy Old Fool

      Gunner Bear

      Hammered Taxpayer

      Handytrim

      Hardcastle Craggs

      Harry Kobeans

      HattieJaques3

      Herts Lass

      Horace Pendleton

      HoratioLordNelson

      Hugh Janus

      Hugso

      Ice Annie

      Iffy the Prez

      Igonikon Jack

      Ilpugliese

      Intonsus

      Irish Neanderthal

      Issy Again

      Jack the Lad

      Jack Frost 27

      Jakobean

      James Wellings

      Jamspongecustard

      Janet JH

      Jay Igaboo

      JcDcFw

      JDavidJ

      Jdgar Funkle

      Jennifer SP

      Jenny

      Jeremy Morfey

      Jewish Kuffar

      Jill the Lass

      JK

      Jobrag

      John A Roll Pickering

      John HB

      Johnhornetook

      John Francis

      John M

      JohnnyDuke

      Johnny Norfolk

      John SC

      John Standley

      Jonathan Wynne Evans

      Joseph B Fox

      JP1000

      J Scheckter

      jtrmedic [‘Venger’, ‘Mr Wilson’, ‘johna’, ‘john robert’]

      Justin A Little

      Kaypea

      Ken L

      Kifaru 1

      Kiki

      Korky the Kat

      Lacoste

      Lady of the Lake

      Ladysmith

      Left Hand Kernel

      lbeagle [Bill Thomas]

      Lesley1

      Les Miserables

      Lewis Duckworth

      Lex

      Light and Shadow

      LingoStu

      Littlemo

      Lizzydripping

      Lms2

      Lonecia

      Lord Muck

      Lord Rayne [‘Sir Jasper’, ‘No to Nanny’]

      LW

      Lytham

      Madranon

      Maggieschild

      Magwitch

      MaHatMaCoatMaBag [Pud]

      Mancunival

      Man On The Bus

      Manusdepiedra

      Martyn J

      Me

      Meerschaum

      Meredith McKay

      Michael Knight

      Middlelandexile [Geoff Graham]

      Mike Ball

      Mikeypikey1

      Miss Deanniemite

      Mogulfield

      Molamola

      Monarch of the Glen [Duncan Mac]

      Monkbar

      More Info Required

      Mrs Average

      Mrs Bimble

      Mum’s Busy

      Nae a Belger

      Nagsman

      Naomi Onions

      National Treasure

      Ndovu

      Nickr

      Neil Ashley

      Neilox

      Nicol Sinclair

      Ninedeuce

      Noelfrances

      Norfolk and chance

      Normal for Norfolk

      Norto

      Oberstleutnant

      Ogga1

      Oldgit 13

      Oliver Cromwell

      One Last Try

      Orangputeh

      Osier

      Ozzypom

      Pearsonfry

      Ped

      peddytheviking [‘Peter Anderson’]

      Perdita Plews

      Pete Green

      Peteh

      Pete Hayes

      Peteko

      Peter in London

      Peter Griffiths

      Phizzee

      Pimlico Sound

      Plum_Tart

      Phranc

      Pobinr

      Pogleswoodsman

      Political Virgin

      Polymath

      Poopiebrain

      Poppiesmum

      Prejudiced

      Pretty Boy

      Pretty Polly

      Prof Watson

      Rastus C Tastey

      Red Panda

      Reith Symonds

      Richard L

      Richard Shaw

      Richard SK

      Richard Symington

      Rikdees

      Rik [‘Rik-Redux’]

      Rigel

      RKWL

      Robot Unicorn Attack

      Rosaline Sullivan

      Rusty Twig

      Ryeatley

      Sarah West

      Scorpionderooftrouser

      Scousegit

      Sean Stanley-Adams

      70s Girly

      Sguest

      Sherrell

      Shidders

      Shoyad

      Silvers

      Simlington

      Simon Coulter

      Siphil

      Sirmoori

      Sir Richard of the Middle Park

      1642 Again

      Snotrocket

      Soldiernomore

      Sosraboc

      Spikey [‘Fallick Alec’]

      Squarepeg

      St Claire de Lune

      Stephenroi

      Steve Casey

      Steve Jones

      Steve the Beard

      Stigenace [David Wainwright]

      Still Politically Incorrect 1

      Stoobs

      Storm in a D Cup

      Streuth

      Sue E [Sue Edison]

      Sue Macfarlane

      Surfaceman

      Sweetalkinguy

      Telfennol

      1066 Goldberg

      Thatlldo [‘Onourwayome’, ‘Watermelonineasterhay’, ‘Honkinginawardrobe’]

      Thayaric

      The Hidden Paw

      Theshoretankoilers

      Thomas Marsh-Connors

      Thrawn

      Tiddles

      Tier5Inmate

      Tim5165

      Tim Stafford Thornton

      Tony

      Toots

      True_Belle

      Truth Revealed

      Ubeany

      Uncle Beastly

      Unimpressed One

      Usnuk

      VeryOldMan

      VeryVeryOldFella

      Vogon

      vw

      Walter

      Weezertt

      Wibbling

      William Foster

      William Garrett

      William Stanier

      Wilson

      Woodley Kid

      Wuffo the Wonderdog

      Yorkshire Calling

      Yorkshirewoman

      Youareastrangeone

      zaharadelasierra [‘Harry Lime’,’Elsie Bloodaxe’]

      Zimbalist

      Zorba the Jock

      Zorba the Turk

      Z3ddie

      Zxcv3

      6. Gosh. Is that everyone who’s ever joined in? There are some names that are a blast from the past. You’ve even listed a name I used to use before I became Stormy.

      2. I am still in touch with TP, Conners. She has moved to Northern Ireland recently.

        We will probably resume our lunch dates – interrupted by Covid19 – in the near future!

    10. ourmaninmunich has a birthday coming up soon. We haven’t seen him recently.

    12. I miss Jenifer SP. She could seemingly wind up some of the people around here without touching her keyboard.

  66. The government here sent out a mobile phone emergency message yesterday – this is received by all mobiles in a certain area, and you get a loud siren noise from the phone, vibration, and a message. This was because of some rain we were about to have.
    Today’s paper has an article about it, with uncountable comments, all of which said:
    – It was unnecessary
    – These messages should be reserved for a proper emergency, like a rocket attack or an avalanche about to engulf a town.
    – The authorities need to calm down and stop spreading panic, gloom and despondency, together with the press and media.

    1. Many, including me, have now disabled the function. I received my warning whilst pissing – nearly had an awful accident.

    2. They did a trial of that here a few months ago – back in April – I turned the facility off in mine, but we were on a train from Sheffield at the time and a lot of them went off a couple of minutes early.

  68. This is a six minute driver’s view of a test drive of the Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) through suburban and highway roads.

    https://youtu.be/NSdT8DMGgaY

    Note: Before enabling Autopilot, the driver first needs to agree to “keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times” and to always “maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle.

    https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/support/autopilot

    I guess the Tesla FSD is driven by AI but the owner must take full responsibility for where the FSD guesses it should go.

    1. Are Carly and Adam in any way suspect? Why are we being told they will be contacted?
      Why not just round up all the local councilors and investigate their bank accounts….

  71. Lee Anderson tells moaning migrants to ‘f— off back to France’

    Deputy Tory chairman says those unhappy with conditions on Bibby Stockholm barge should leave or ‘better not come at all’

    Lee Anderson has said migrants complaining about the Bibby Stockholm barge should “f— off back to France”.

    The MP for Ashfield and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party said those unhappy with the conditions in Britain should leave or “better not come at all in the first place”, amid a Government stand-off with 20 asylum seekers refusing to move to the vessel.

    ‌His “salty” comments were defended by Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, who said his “indignation” was “well placed” after just 15 migrants boarded the barge on Monday.
    ……..

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/08/lee-anderson-migrants-conservative-party-bibby-stockholm

  72. Lee Anderson tells moaning migrants to ‘f— off back to France’

    Deputy Tory chairman says those unhappy with conditions on Bibby Stockholm barge should leave or ‘better not come at all’

    Lee Anderson has said migrants complaining about the Bibby Stockholm barge should “f— off back to France”.

    The MP for Ashfield and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party said those unhappy with the conditions in Britain should leave or “better not come at all in the first place”, amid a Government stand-off with 20 asylum seekers refusing to move to the vessel.

    ‌His “salty” comments were defended by Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, who said his “indignation” was “well placed” after just 15 migrants boarded the barge on Monday.

    By Tuesday, more than 20 were on board but a further 20 were continuing to resist transferring to the vessel in Portland, near Weymouth, Dorset – despite a threat by ministers to withdraw their right to state-funded accommodation. The Home Office gave them a 24-hour deadline from Monday afternoon, after which it said it would consider withdrawing their accommodation support.

    However, lawyers for the migrants claim the Home Office failed to give them sufficient notice and take account of their views. Care4Calais, the charity supporting them, is considering legal action to block the use of the barge for asylum seekers, as it says the Home Office failed to carry out adequate checks on their suitability. They include a man suffering sight loss, a torture victim and others with a “severe fear of water” from seeing people drown at sea.

    Lashing out at those complaining about the accommodation, Mr Anderson told the Daily Express: “If they don’t like barges then they should f— off back to France. I think people have just had enough.

    “These people come across the Channel in small boats … if they don’t like the conditions they are housed in here then they should go back to France, or better not come at all in the first place.”

    He later doubled down on his comments, responding to a critical tweet from MP Diane Abbott by implying that the people he was talking about were “not genuine asylum seekers”.

    https://twitter.com/LeeAndersonMP_/status/1688818285096116225
    Ministers say the barge accommodation is “basic” and “spartan” but reasonable. On Tuesday, one of the asylum seekers, a 32-year-old from Algeria, said: “It’s normal. It’s good. Bed was good. Food was good. It’s normal.”

    Migrants on board disclosed that the menu included eggs, cheese and bread for breakfast; potato soup, garlic chicken, Irish stew and roast turkey for lunch; and dinner choices of paella, fried fish and oriental chicken.

    A group of local volunteers, known as the Portland Global Friendship Alliance, are due to be allowed onto the barge to discuss with the migrants what activities and support they want. They are offering a “befriending” service with locals, walks, cricket, football, sea fishing, extra English lessons and work on allotments.

    They have already provided “goodie” bags with toiletries, pen and paper, as well as clothes and a donated bike for one asylum seeker, whose previous cycle was stolen in Bournemouth.

    It came as Mr Chalk told lawyers to “keep their politics to themselves” in the latest attempt by ministers to pin part of the blame for the crisis in the asylum system on “Lefty lawyers”.

    “In the last 10 years there’s been a growing and I think regrettable trend for lawyers to actively parade their politics and identify more with their clients,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

    He said it would be “much better for lawyers in the main to keep their politics to themselves” and said it was a mistake for them to be “enthusiastic about parading their political opposition”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/08/lee-anderson-migrants-conservative-party-bibby-stockholm

    2. “… others with a “severe fear of water” from seeing people drown at sea.” Self inflicted; if they’d stayed at home they wouldn’t have seen anybody drown at sea.

      2. It chucked it down here in mid Herts late afternoon. But a lovely red glow in the western skies later.

  74. I think that’s me for today.
    It’s been a bastard. Chaos and confusion everywhere (what dumbass files crucial documents in one of four locations, and “forgets” to tell folk where that might be?), and endless work. I was so tired after work until a zed at home in my sofa, then several glasses of red energy drink. Perked up a bit.
    Monday, head in a MRI machine in the hope they can find a brain, and what it is that makes me suddenly have a brain reboot, with attendant uslessness whilst that goes on. Something to look forward to. Doctor stole some blood today, but otherwise offered little comfort (she does have a massive arse, though).
    Away to bed. Bis später, Kameraten.

    1. Morgen bruh, wenn Gott will… I hope tomorrow will be less stressful for you.

  75. Just back from the latest Indiana Jones film.
    Same old same old, chase, music, punch up, chase music, music chase punch up.
    Oh, and loads of shooting.
    Boring.

    1. I hope to go Dynamic shooting with my 44 magnum on Sunday. First time since before the Covid crap. Not shot that particular iron dynamic before, should be interesting.

      1. That was the trailer tonight.
        Looks even worse.

        The sound system also TOLD US THAT Oppenheimer is a no go, much as I would like to see it.

        1. I can’t agree, Sos. I gave OPPENHEIMER 9 out of 10, INDIANA 8 out of 10, and BARBIE 3 out of 10. But chacun a son gout. (didn’t Annie have a chair for that?)

          1. IJ was merely a repeat of the rest of the series.

            Technically you may be correct, but I found it deja vue. One set of chases after another, see one, you’ve seen them all.

            As a history enthusiast I would love to see the Oppenheimer one, but I’m told the sound means you can’t hear the dialogue. No dialogue, and for me no enjoyment, my hearing isn’t what it was.

            Barbie was a no no about 10 seconds into the trailer.

          5. I agree about BARBIE’s trailer, but if you watch the actual film, the first five minutes of it give a wonderful tongue-in-cheek spoof of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY which is worth the price of admission.

  78. Scientists, don’t cha lurve ’em?
    These are the very brightest and best and they know exactly what they’re doing. /sarc

    Boulder storm ‘as deadly as Hiroshima’ accidentally unleashed by NASA during test to change the trajectory of an asteroid
    NASA’s planetary defense test crashed a spacecraft into a moonlet last year
    The goal was to move the moonlet off its orbit, which was a success

    A success? Gawd help us.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12385379/Boulder-storm-deadly-Hiroshima-accidentally-unleashed-NASA-test-change-trajectory-asteroid.html

  80. Gender critics akin to white supremacists, claims SNP’s Mhairi Black

    The Scottish nationalists’ deputy Westminster leader accuses ‘bad actors’ of hijacking debate over transgender rights

    By Daniel Sanderson, SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT • 8 August 2023

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8cf3ff34a523e9bffad6fb124b93d5a9afc9a3dc334a77699276c4de6ab013b4.jpg
    ‘Rebel, Rebel’
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Gender-critical campaigners are comparable to white supremacists, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader has claimed.

    Mhairi Black said that “bad actors” and “50-year-old Karens” were responsible for the debate over transgender rights and suggested those who vocally disagreed with her views on such issues could not be “decent” people.

    In comments likely to deepen an already bitter divide in Scotland, she said those who made “intellectual” arguments against extending trans rights were akin to past generations who claimed non-white ethnic groups were inferior.

    For Women Scotland, a prominent gender-critical campaign group, claimed that the MP’s comments called into question her fitness for office.

    Taking aim at ‘intellectuals’

    Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Ms Black said: “Once upon a time, you had intellectuals who made these big prolific statements about how race was a key factor. [They argued] ‘I think you’ll find statistics show that if you have more Bame [black, Asian and minority ethnic] people; crime goes up’ or whatever it is. We now rightly look back on that and go, ‘You were a racist. You might be an intellectual, but what you were saying was racist.’

    “If you’re not educating yourself on things, then you can’t complain when people from a minority say, ‘You’re not treating us right’, and that’s exactly what’s happening with the trans community right now.”

    She added: “There are definitely bad actors at play who are radicalising people who are vulnerable. They are radicalising people who are too online. And they’re also using this small community as a wedge issue to cause chaos and make people divide amongst themselves. When you start tracing it back, the money always links back to fundamental Christian groups in America, Baptist groups, anti-abortion organisations.”

    The SNP attempted to legislate to allow Scots to change their legal sex simply by signing a declaration, only for Westminster to later block the law, claiming it could threaten the rights and safety of women and girls.

    The Scottish Government has repeatedly denied this, but saw its argument undermined by the case of Isla Bryson, a transgender double rapist, who was initially sent to a women’s jail under a policy that operated on the basis of self-ID.

    Later in the talk, at The Stand Comedy Club, Ms Black was asked whether she believed that someone with a different philosophical view to her on gender issues could still be “a thoroughly decent person”.

    She responded: “If you keep it to yourself, aye,” to applause from the audience. “To me, a decent person is someone who tries to make others comfortable and accept them, particularly when it’s a marginalised, oppressed group. That’s just human progress. And to me being decent is being part of that progress, not hindering it.”

    Ms Black, who was Britain’s youngest MP in 350 years when she was elected in 2015 aged 20, announced last month that she was stepping down at the next election. She blamed Westminster’s “toxic” culture, which she claimed had harmed her mental and physical health. At her Fringe show, she admitted she was “bruised” by social media attacks on her, but also said she had to spend her working week “surrounded by a——-s”.

    ‘Critics are not fundamentalist’

    Susan Smith, a director at For Women Scotland, said Ms Black’s comments were a “damning indictment of her intellectual capacity and her fitness to act as a legislator”.

    She added: “Her inability to grasp why highly vulnerable women in prison, fleeing domestic violence, or being cared for in hospital might not want to share intimate spaces with someone of the male sex suggests that it is long past time she got out of her highly cosseted, gilded bubble. Women who disagree with her should not be forced to be silent like some latter-day scold, nor are they the racist or religious fundamentalist bogeywomen.”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/08/mhairi-black-snp-fringe-gender-critical-white-supremacist

    1. I agree that her mental health has been harmed; her comments bear that out. I don’t think it’s necessarily Westminster that’s done it, though.

    2. What a surprise!
      If there’s one thing about these people it’s their predictability: adding one derogatory claim, i.e. racism to another, gender criticism. What’s next to be added to the manure heap of these people’s ‘thinking’.

    3. If anyone is unsure or divided on this issue just think the opposite of what this person says and you won’t be wrong.

  82. That was good!
    Just done my 10 mile circular for the first time in nearly a year and really must get back into the habit of going for walks again.

    Now off for a bath and bed.
    G’night all.

  84. Good morrow, Gentlefolks, today’s story. It’s early because I think
    I’m having a heart attack so may be in hospital.
    If I survive a 25 mile trip to Dumfries A & E.

    You Get What You Pay For
    The late Queen Elizabeth was visiting a hospital, and during her tour she passed a room where a male patient was masturbating.
    “Oh my God”, said the queen, “that’s disgraceful, what is the meaning of this?”
    A doctor explained: “I’m sorry your majesty, but this man has a very serious condition. His testicles are constantly over-full of semen. If he doesn’t masturbate at least 5 times a day, he’ll be in excruciating pain.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” said the Queen. “I was unaware that such a medical problem existed.”
    On the same floor, they then pass a room in which the Queen could clearly see a young nurse giving a patient fellatio.”
    “Oh my God!” the Queen shrieked. “What’s going on in there?!”
    The doctor explains: “Same problem, better health plan!”

    1. I hope it isn’t a heart attack, Sir Jasper, but if it is I hope you get speedy treatment.

  87. From the TaxPayers Alliance. No cost of living crisis in the Snivel Service.

    Our latest research has revealed that the number of civil servants increased by more than 101,000 between 2016 and 2023, a jump of 24 per cent and the largest increase in at least half a century.

    The paper – authored by our chairman, Mike Denham – was splashed across the front page of Daily Telegraph as well as featuring in the Times, Daily Mail, and Express. It was also the feature of discussion across a range of broadcast media.

    The increase in civil service employment between March 2016 and March 2023 is greater than the entire regular forces of the British Army.

    While the pandemic was the main driver of civil service headcount increasing for some of the period, the further growth since March 2022 shows that numbers are not falling following the end of mass testing and covid emergency measures.

    The key findings of the research:

    The expansion has been top-heavy, with 87 per cent of the increase being accounted for by growth in the top three grade levels, who receive between £73,000 and £208,100 plus pension contributions of 30 per cent on top of that. There was an actual decrease in the lowest – and previously most numerous – grade level.

    The largest increase has been in London with an additional 25,505 posts, a growth of 33 per cent.

    The overall staffing structure has been tilted away from operational delivery and towards policy and support functions. Operational delivery – frontline services– fell from 56 per cent of total staff to 52 per cent.

    Grade inflation and pay awards nearly tripled the number of civil servants being paid over £75,000 a year, from 4,470 to 12,045. In addition, 2,050 were paid more than £100,000 and 195 more than £150,000.

    The median average civil service salary increased by 26 per cent over the period.

    The annual salary bill for full-time staff has increased by 59.8 per cent from March 2016 to March 2023, rising from £9.7 billion to £15.5 billion.

    It is estimated that the combined effect of higher staff numbers, grade inflation, and pay awards increased the total annual civil service salary bill to £17.8 billion between March 2016 to March 2023, a rise of 54.8 per cent. This is almost double the growth rate of nominal GDP over the same period.

    The expansion has been top-heavy, with 87 per cent of the increase being accounted for by growth in the top three grade levels, who receive between £73,000 and £208,100, plus pension contributions of 30 per cent on top. There was an actual decrease in the lowest – and previously most numerous – grade level.

    All this means that the annual salary bill for full-time staff has increased by 60 per cent and the median average civil service salary has increased by 26 per cent.

    We work hard to maximise the impact of our research. It’s only thanks to supporters like you that we can continue to highlight important issues and force them onto the National agenda.

  88. Late to the party today.
    Had a two and three quarter hour bowls match this morning and won 21-19 after 27 ends to reach the semifinal of the Men’s Championship.
    Exhausted.

Comments are closed.