Wednesday 19 February: Donald Trump’s transactional approach to Ukraine should alarm us all

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.

515 thoughts on “Wednesday 19 February: Donald Trump’s transactional approach to Ukraine should alarm us all”

  4. Yvette Cooper’s war on online privacy. 19 February 2025.

    The UK could be about to single-handedly dismantle online privacy for the world. Last month, Keir Starmer’s Labour government demanded that Apple break its encryption and allow law enforcement to access users’ iCloud data. The demand, issued under the sweeping surveillance powers of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (dubbed the ‘Snooper’s Charter’ by civil-liberties groups), has raised serious concerns over privacy and free speech.

    As Churchill so wisely observed no Socialist System can exist without its own Gestapo. The very principle of privacy, the right to exist outside the system, can never be tolerated.

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/02/19/yvette-coopers-war-on-online-privacy/

    1. Interesting that it would be a criminal offence within the UK to tell anyone that the Govt had requested such information. But the Home Secretary Mrs Teddy Balls' powers do not extend to the USA. Curse you, Red Baron!

    2. At the time of the China virus panicdemic the appearance of vaccines seemed like a miracle of science and as such they offered a route back to normality for those aged over 65 and/or who had other chronic conditions.
      I knew several old folk who sadly died (but who were already on their last legs) and a strong healthy guy in his fifties who was seriously ill in hospital with a 2020 early version of Covid 19. Reaction to a vaccination is normal and traditionally indicates that the vaccine is at work and is provoking the body to create antibodies (or similar, am not medical).

      1. Miracle of Science?
        No. The speed at which the various "vaccines" were concocted and the effort with which they were foisted upon the public were two massive red flags for me.
        Then the way the side effects were phoo-phooed by the PTB was an even larger one.

    3. He was lucky, I had three friends who were suddenly rushed into hospital during that period and died.
      But good for him to be bringing the death wish to public attention.

    4. As I have mentioned here before, neither Caroline nor I have had the Covid vaccine gene therapy.

      I had a very mild experience of Covid and spent one day in bed. Caroline had the test at the same time as I did and tested positive but was completely unaware of the fact that she had Covid!

      At the same time several of our fully jabbed friends and family members had Covid and were quite ill with it.

  7. Good morning, chums, and thanks to Geoff for today's new NoTTLe page. Also, I got Wordle in 2 for the second day running. Yippee!!!

    Wordle 1,341 2/6

    🟨⬜🟩⬜⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Very well done. I shall do mine when the husband appears with my morning tea and toast, he normally uses the same starter word, I do sometimes but usually mix them up.

    2. Well done Elsie – not quite the same result here!
      Wordle 1,341 6/6

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

  8. Good morning, waltzes in on a morning freezing cold breeze 2c but feels like -4c
    East Anglia suffers from the bleakness of the North Sea, I shall be back in Dunster early April for a few weeks before Easter, Exmoor also has temperamental weather as does Minehead but at least it'll be spring.

  9. Morning, all Y'all.
    Sunny, getting chilly.
    About to pack for a short skiing holiday, so likely less visible on NoTTL for the next few days.

    1. Cross country or downhill? Be careful, because by the end of a northern winter a human body needs some sunshine, just like PV panels.

      1. Cross country for SWMBO and I, downhill for Firstborn – he finally has boots the same shape as his feet & legs! Second Son is missing this year, due to work. First time he's absent in 23 years.

          1. Good grief, Grizzly old bean, what have you done with your avatar? You look as if you haven't slept for a thousand years, so black are the bags under your eyes. Please change it back to a more pleasant one.

          2. That’s my old “Don’t Mess” avatar, Auntie Elsie. It came in very handy during the Miners’ strike when flying pickets needed putting in order!🤣

            True story: I blew a kiss at some of them, one day, and they complained that I was “intimidating them”. Strange thing was that it was they who were intimidating the working miners!

      2. Indeed. All those pale bodies sunburning themselves at Easter, on the snow / terrace / lawn.

      1. I have never skied; I damaged my knee when I was a pupil at school and can’t cope with the pressure.

  10. What's the difference between God and a ski instructor.?
    God doesn't think he's a ski instructor.

    1. Did you have skiing lessons in France or Italy? They are not so intolerable in Germany and Austria in my experience.

        1. I learnt skiing in Germany in the 1960s. I was a danger to everyone in the area. I didn't take it up – I went parachuting instead – much safer.

          2. I learnt skiing in the noughties in Austria – taught by an American using the parallel / short ski method. Off to Austria on Saturday for a week with just the Mrs and me which is a first for us

        2. "Dontski"? Phil, you are the famous Russian spy Ivan Dontski, and I claim my 5 kopek postal order. Lol.

  11. Good Moaning.
    Allison Pearson in feisty form. Here is a snippet. I can post the whole article if NOTTLers so wish.

    "Take the Prime Minister. Sir Keir Starmer, in a typically inept address from scruffy notes, announced he is “ready to put British boots on the ground” in Ukraine. Boots worn, no doubt, by the same kind of “far-Right thugs” the Labour leader loves to arrest and punish when they object to imported ideologies and misogynist attitudes harming British women and girls. But far-Right thugs can be jolly useful when there’s fighting to do and when a weak leader is talking tough to make himself look strong, can’t they, Keir? God, the hypocrisy is revolting."

    I won't use the word worm, as worms are useful.

      1. Divided for easy reading and therefore becomes extracts.
        Part One:
        Sometimes, it takes a concerned old friend to point out things you’d rather not face. Like the fact just a few glasses of wine in the evening have slithered into alcoholism. Or your tendency to be a bit smug and bossy somehow ended up with people being arrested for things you find offensive. That was the role played by JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference.

        The assembled Eurocrats were braced for a telling off from their American sugar daddy (for spending shamefully little on defence and way too much on welfare), but the vice-president had come to deliver an altogether more painful lecture. (I almost wrote “sermon” for his speech possessed a moral seriousness not usually found among the glib political class.) A car driven by an asylum seeker had just mown down a crowd of innocent Germans, including a two-year-old child. It was a terrible story, as Vance acknowledged, but one which was all too familiar and, tragically, stupidly, self-inflicted. The greatest threat to Europe’s security, he warned, came “from within” as Western values were abandoned.

        “How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction? No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,” Vance chided. On the contrary. The electorate, he said, had backed political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration because the voters were “smart” and cared about their safety and their capacity to provide for their families.

        “What no democracy, American, German or European will survive is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief are invalid or unworthy of even being considered. Dismissing those people, or worse yet, shutting down media, shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing… In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy.”

        The audience sat stony-faced or gaped like plump carp in a pond as the polite smatter of applause dried up. What was the ghastly Yank on about? The European Union hadn’t got where it is today by being democratic or listening to its citizens. It instructs member states to re-run plebiscites when they come up with the “wrong” answer, which is why millions of us backed Brexit.

        JD Vance was highlighting a bitter historic irony. Western Europe which won the Cold War, positioning the defenders of democracy and free speech against tyrannical forces that censored dissidents and cancelled elections, was now cancelling elections, censoring dissidents and criminalising free speech. In short, it had become its former enemy. “It looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation,” warned the VP. Spot on. West Germany was supposed to absorb East Germany, not the other way around.

        Struggling to deal with the deadly side-effects of multiculturalism (a belief system which has largely replaced organised religion in Europe, although not in Poland and Hungary where there are no terrorist attacks. Funny that), the good guys gradually morphed into the new Stasi. I saw that for myself, of course, when two Essex Police officers turned up at my door on Remembrance Sunday over a tweet I’d deleted 12 months earlier, which challenged the two-tier policing of pro-Palestine marches and never came near the threshold for a criminal offence, although that didn’t prevent me being treated as a criminal.

        And so a member of Germany’s far-Right AfD party was convicted not long ago of incitement to hatred for repeating official statistics which stated that Afghan migrants (419,000 residing in Germany) are disproportionately involved in serious sexual offences. Because they are. The truth is no longer a defence, astonishingly. Marie-Thérèse Kaiser, a politician for AfD, which looks set to perform strongly in Sunday’s German elections – can anyone guess why? – remained defiant, posting on X: “Simply naming numbers, dates and facts is to be declared a criminal offence, just because the establishment does not want to face reality.”

        Vance was there to make them face reality. An emissary from the New World come to tell the Old it had badly lost its way. “What exactly is it that you’re defending yourselves for… If you don’t know what you’re defending in the first place?” It was a devastating question. An indictment of an elite, Davos-smooching class which has undermined European culture and values, endangering their own citizens in the process while fancying themselves moderate and centrist. So deep is the denial, so well-fortified the sense of their own virtue, that some even tried to claim it was the vice-president’s speech which was an attack on democracy. As if.

        I thought Vance’s speech was thrilling, easily the most important of the 21st century so far. Even if you are among the most powerful figures in the world, it is still not easy to stand and deliver in a room full of people who hate what you have to say. Millions of Europeans beyond that room – his real audience, I dare say – will have cheered with delight as he took to task our superiors who have imposed a cold, censorious globalist vision at the expense of personal liberty and national pride. Delivering that speech took the kind of moral courage and blazing intellectual confidence which, not coincidentally, is in perilously short supply among leaders on this side of the Atlantic.

        1. Second extract.
          Part Two
          Take the Prime Minister. Sir Keir Starmer, in a typically inept address from scruffy notes, announced he is “ready to put British boots on the ground” in Ukraine. Boots worn, no doubt, by the same kind of “far-Right thugs” the Labour leader loves to arrest and punish when they object to imported ideologies and misogynist attitudes harming British women and girls. But far-Right thugs can be jolly useful when there’s fighting to do and when a weak leader is talking tough to make himself look strong, can’t they, Keir? God, the hypocrisy is revolting.

          I am reliably informed by several Telegraph readers, all ex-senior military, that British armed forces in their present enfeebled state would struggle to hold off Turkey for a week. Another well-informed reader comments on X: “Our armed forces are too small to fight Napoleon, never mind the 16 divisions and 36 independent brigades which is the smallest estimate I can find for the Russian Army. The Ministry of Defence reckons we can manage three brigades, I don’t believe that.”

          An end-of-the-pier pantomime of a once-proud body of men, starved of resources and equipment, expected to provide world-class deterrence on a shoestring, brave soldiers chased through the courts for decades-old actions (full credit given to the evidence of our enemies), the British military in 2025 stands as an emblem of what happens to a nation when you allow it to be run by the gutless liberal sell-outs so magnificently disdained by the vice-president of the United States.

          Vance has, at the very least, put wind in the sails of thousands of delegates at this week’s centre-Right, pro-Western civilisation Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London – it was good to see Kemi Badenoch raise her free speech game as if in response to her friend and fellow conservative JD. The vice-president also comforts and emboldens those of us who think any British boots we have left should be here on this ground, to protect our borders, our women and children.

          Talking of which, for this week’s Planet Normal podcast I interviewed Alex Phillips, Talk TV presenter, former Brexit Party member of the European Parliament and now supporter of Reform UK. Alex has made a powerfully provocative documentary, Heresies: Britain’s Silent Rape Explosion which points out that rapes in England and Wales have quadrupled since 2015. (You should watch it before the Labour Government bans it as “Islamophobic.”)

          Although it is hard – deliberately so, she reckons – to get a breakdown of the ethnicity of the rapists, Phillips finally managed to elicit from the police the fact that migrants are three-and-a-half times more likely to be arrested for serious sexual crimes than British citizens, with Muslim men among the main culprits. It is, she says, part of a “harrowing trend” across Europe.

          In Germany between 2017 and 2021, Afghan and Pakistani men were 16 times more likely to be implicated in rape than ethnic Germans. In Sweden, more than half of all rapists are foreign-born. In France, in 2022 alone, 77 per cent of solved rape cases were committed by men who didn’t have French passports. The same heavy over-representation of men from North Africa and the Middle East in rape and sexual assault was also found in devastating Danish data: once a bastion of liberal Scandi values and open borders, Denmark has now come to its senses and pretty much stopped immigration stone dead.

          “There is a point in the history of society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that, among other things, it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair…” Thus said Friedrich Nietzsche in Beyond Good and Evil. Readers who have been following The Telegraph’s terrific, hair-raising investigation into the anti-British absurdities of our immigration tribunals will think that the German philosopher had a point.

          So pathologically soft is our society that today the UK’s most senior judge, Baroness Sue Carr, attacked Starmer and Badenoch for their “unacceptable criticism” of an immigration judge who allowed Palestinian refugees to come to this country. Apparently, the Lady Chief Justice was annoyed at the PM and the Leader of the Opposition for failing to “respect and protect judges” by publicly criticising the verdict. Hmmm. I strongly suspect the vast majority of us will feel the people who need respecting and protecting from Hamas-brainwashed Gazans are the British people.

          “How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction? No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants.”

          We are not so lost we no longer recognise the truth when we hear it. The vice-president spoke so eloquently and so passionately for so many. We are at a crossroads in European history: either our leaders will trust the opinions of the people and defend the Judeo-Christian values that forged our remarkable civilisation, or they will continue to silence and persecute those who object to the demise of those values, and they will insist we call it kindness. All I can say is, thank God for the wise counsel of an old friend in this time of trouble. I stand with JD Vance – how about you?

    2. Good morning Anne and everyone.
      IMHO it's not a good idea to post entire articles from recent publications because it might be seen as a breach of copyright; whereas extracts, IIRC, are permitted for educational purposes etc. Telegraph subscriptions start at around £25 per annum, which is a bargain.

    3. "Take the Prime Minister."

      Certainly. Take him and put him in a safe place, a very safe place. That is, a place where we're safe from him, his minions and his apocalyptic Change agenda.

    5. Interestingly, Chief of Poland’s National Security Bureau Dariusz Lukowski warns US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth..

      Europe as a whole doesn’t have the 100,000 troops ready that would be required for patrolling the over 1,000-kilometer-long frontline.
      Zelensky wants to provoke a war between them and Russia.
      Admits that Poland & allies have failed in its plans to produce enough ammo.

    6. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5e2ef2316785f4603709f2eb6839907bcd94a0d7a2cd7d333db9546d9352034e.png
      I went into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
      The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
      The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
      I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
      O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
      But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
      The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
      O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play.

      2. It's Tommy this and Tommy that,
        and Tommy he's a brute,
        but it's after you Mr Atkins when the guns begin to shoot,
        O, it's after you Mr Atkins when the guns begin to shoot.

    2. Careful what you say, Liz. Calling Reeves 'incompetent' will get you thrown in a dungeon with the keys dropped in the Thames.

  16. Migrants are making plans to travel to the UK after German politicians revealed plans for a giant deportation centre on the Polish border.

    Labour's Jacqui Smith says.. "Oh do shut up.."

    1. Is she still visiting the Porn Exchange for her ex-husband and charging it to expenses?

  17. Good morning all.
    A cold, dry and overcast start to the day with a slight frost. 1°C outside when I brought the milk in with a maximum for yesterday of an almost warm 8.2°C and an overnight cold of -0.2°C.

    So, the Delta flight that flipped over at Toronto was actually being operated by Endeavour Airlines that apparently has an all-female flight crew policy:-
    https://x.com/kiiraturnbow/status/1892112727948263489

    2. I think the online comment that the rot stared with Major was right.
      In 1992 I went to visit my Aunt and Uncle while J was away. I remember my uncle shouting at the telly as he usually did but later I realised it was because Major had signed us up to Maastricht.

  19. Good morning all

    Drizzly , not nice , 7c, but the golfer is soon off to the golf course.

    I guess it is all part of being in a team , company and competitive banter.

    1. My husband doesn't play golf but once a month he attends a gentleman's business luncheon ( they're mostly retired ) at the golf club buildings .
      Nearly all men apart from a local lady Conservative Councillor, we ladies ( wives ) were invited for a lunch just before Valentines Day we were given flowers and chocolates, were invited at Christmas too. A certain amount of people around tables. This time a man sitting next to him announced himself as Nick, I recognised him instantly as my retired GP at the old surgery around 20 years ago – an old fashioned traditional English doctor
      the men wear ties and suits. They say grace and toast the Queen / King, a very traditional smart old fashioned English gathering, always nice food, wine and excellent company- I always look forward to attending and had a lovely lunch with them the other week.

        1. I don't believe it's normal to toast the monarch anymore or even to say grace during lunch and dinner gatherings outside family and elevated circles. They weren't that posh, retires doctors, farmers, business owners, councillors, people from all walks of life.
          Toasting the monarch are of those very traditional English idiosyncratic polite things we did when our country was still our country.

          1. Audrey, let people do what they wish to do. I am old-fashioned enough to try to look smart in public and say grace in my fashion (i.e. saying let's be grateful for what we have on our plate, rather than what The Lord has provided); if you choose none of those things then so be it, I have no objection. And I must also agree with Rastus on his toast to Her Majesty but not the current His Majesty.

          3. I do think that very important and much value, a reminder that we are a Christian country.

          5. A very admirable thing to do but you’ll say it’s a matter of faith,
            the problem is the lack of spirituality which has now benighted this country. A disconnection with faith, but not all, thankfully .

          6. I certainly agree about the lack of spirituality; it's infested the CofE. I was remarking the other day that the top brass in the Anglican set in Britain are ashamed of Christianity; they don't celebrate or promote it. They'd rather have some happy clappy modern mish mash that vaguely mentions Christ occasionally. It's the grass roots who cling to the traditional ways (which are actually popular).

          7. They are ashamed of Christianity and don’t believe in the scriptures.
            I don’t think the C of E ever recovered when it closed the churches during lockdown, at the time when they were most needed.

          9. For me, it’s a way of reminding myself I’m lucky to have food on the table and I should be grateful. There have been times in the past when I was very hungry.

        2. Depends on the monarch. I have certainly drunk to the health of the late Queen but I have not, and shall not, do the same for her successor.

  20. 'Morning All
    28 weeks chokey taking up space in our overcrowded prisons for hurty words about Sad Dick Khant Jess Philips and some police bod
    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/recluse-who-sent-abusive-and-racist-emails-to-jess-phillips-and-sadiq-khan-jailed-for-28-weeks/ar-AA1zi5MQ
    Hmm thinking back to many NoTTL posts about our esteemed Mayor of London alone I think i'll have a small case packed ready for the knock on the door,several of you better do likewise……..

  21. SIR – I recently spotted a postcard that appeared to date from the beginning of the First World War. It depicts a rather louche young man reading the sports page of a newspaper while lounging in an armchair. He seems oblivious that his ancestors – all in uniform – are climbing out of the family portraits to ask him: “What are you doing to guard the homes of England?”

    On the reverse, Raphael Tuck & Sons (the publisher of the card) has the stern message: “Look here upon this picture, and on this”, quoting Hamlet. To this the Prince of Wales has added the stirring motto, “Wake up England!”

    Sadly, I rather doubt that an updated version would fire up Gen Z.

    Shaun Leavey
    Sherborne, Dorset

    NJ Ratnieks
    13 min ago
    Postcard

    Had the people of Europe in 1914 been far less keen to show their national virility we may have avoided the indescribable carnage of the Great War that created the catastrophic changes that still reverberate to this day.

    We should be wary of these blandishments and politicians- the latest being the Kneeler Dealer that somehow think that our lamentably porous border is actually 1800 miles to the east of London. Actively, setting out to "guard the homes of England" is a domestic issue that our politicians appear to have little desire to engage in, meaningfully. Indeed, one might think that the direct contrary was their real intention.

    1. “Look here upon this picture, and on this”

      Hyperion to a Satyr was the comparison Hamlet made when comparing his father with his step-father.

      Hyperion was a sun god; a Satyr was a goatish monster.

      My father's close friend who delivered the eulogy at his funeral used this comparison to mark the distinction between my benevolent father and the malevolent politicians of the day.

    1. Another legal idiot who almost certainly needs sacking is the "Lady Chief Justice" who seems to object to TT Keir and Badenough both criticising immigration judges for letting in 'refugees" from Gaza under a system specifically limited to Ukrainians. For once the two politicians seem to be talking sense!

    2. Another legal idiot who almost certainly needs sacking is the "Lady Chief Justice" who seems to object to TT Keir and Badenough both criticising immigration judges for letting in 'refugees" from Gaza under a system specifically limited to Ukrainians. For once the two politicians seem to be talking sense!

  23. Good Morning!

    Today FSB features one of Paul Sutton’s lyrical pieces on the state of affairs in this country. Read his short BREAKFAST AT WETHERSPOONS  for a poetic treat. Trigger warning: It includes a mention of Tony Blair.

    We have an important update on the Climate Crisis – it’s going to get much colder soon and stay cold for around a decade!  In The Grand Solar Minimum is Here, Iain Hunter says that independent research shows that we should start preparing for the world’s climate to get very much colder – so wrap up warm and lay in a food supply.

    Energy watch 08.30 Total demand: 40.64 GW. Total UK Production: 39 GW from: Hydrocarbons 2609%; Wind 40.4%; Imports 12.6%; Biomass 6.9 and Nuclear 10.9. Solar: 0.4.

    And don’t forget FSB is a reader’s platform, so please think about writing an article yourself.

    1. Problem is, theSolar Minimum and associated cooling will "prove" the climate warriors are "correct" – look, we reduced the CO2 generation and it got colder! (Granny froze to death, but hey, she was old anyway).

          4. I already have one of those (only with a longer handle) together with a lump hammer and sledge hammer.

          6. I bought my Stihl chainsaw from a massive (and excellent) establishment, near here, that sells timber, tools, decorating, household and garden items.

    1. Wow , love the flowers .

      I hope mine produce surprises like yours .

      Mine are recent sale purchases , one from B+Q .. quite tall and lots of shoots , £20, and the other bought as a sad looking specimen which is now vigorous , from Tesco for £10.

  26. Labour Muslim MPs & Councillors salivating..
    .
    The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Monday revealed its finding that $4.7 trillion in disbursements by the US Treasury are "almost impossible" to trace, thanks to a rampant disregard for the basic accounting practice of using of tracking codes when dishing out money.
    Without Treasury Access Symbol (TAS) identification codes associated with those payouts, there's little hope in figuring out where all that money went.
    https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1891618926972322235

  27. Breaking news. It has been revealed that Angela Rayner is an aristocrat. She adopted the child born to her nanny. After Roedean, her pals at Balliol suggested that she use a phony northern accent in order to get on in politics.

    1. Just like Harold Wilson; I heard a recording of him when he was at Oxford. Pure RP. Get on in the Labour Party and ee's reet workin' class.

  28. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1ecd40c8ab1b23a898aa84a50c8c39ab2426e53487e642b8676adffd8e835279.png While sorting through the Photos file on my new M4 Mac Mini I came across this snapshot (one accidentally taken on my iPhone) from April last year. It shows comments made by NoTTLers. In particular I noted that the comments made by Harry Meneely and AW Kamau seem to have been among the last posted by those two contributors.

    Does anyone know if they are still around and in a good state of health?

    3. Good morning, Grizzly

      A Kamau shares a birthday with you and will be 60 next week – he is the second youngest Nottler on my birthday list.

    1. "Why not just meet British leaders from across business and civil society" They do not vote Liebour.

    3. 401895+ up ticks,
      Morning TB,

      I believe covertly they will be discussing the finer points of indigenous
      humanitarian / incarceration.
      Plus the S(TOOLS) place in the islamic pecking order.

    4. OMG..
      One step closer to the civil war predicted by David Betz is Professor of War in the Modern World in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.

      How do we know that? Because Lefties place fingers in ears and scream when confronted with his expert research & prediction.

      You can thank More Info Required for that YT link the other day.

  32. 401895+ up ticks,

    This proposed "peace keeping force" could have us witnessing the the biggest, most blatant case of divide & conquer known to mankind

    Tommy Atkins goe's foreign triggers armed coup within a sovereign nation could very well be the victorious / lamentable headlines.

    1. "Anxiety" the go to wordie/crime that Activists use to do their dirty deeds.

      Here, a student files a court action against Musk investigating misspent $ because.. you guessed it.. anxiety was caused.

      One UCSA student, remaining anonymous because of her family’s immigration status, submitted a supplemental declaration saying that DOGE accessing her records had given her anxiety and was causing her to reconsider her application for graduate school.

  35. Moh's car battery was flat .. panic stations .. Today is a golf day .. He transferred his kit into my car , and I have just come back from delivering him , 15mts up the road max , if the train barriers are up !

    Beautiful morning , tank activity nearby, and scenery gorgeous , drove past https://monkeyworld.org/ , on warmer spring mornings , the chimps are usually sitting high up on their climbing frames , observing the activities on the road down below .

  36. Morning all,

    I posted Dr Nand's thoughts yesterday about the influence of Hypoperfusion, isolation and metabolic syndrome on the progress of dementia as we grow older. MOH's side effects from statins resulted in muscular stiffness that at one time required confinement in bed.

    Dr Nand has suspicions that doctors are confined by protocols that encourage the use of statins. Here he explains the scientific reasons why he is encouraging his own family to avoid them to reduce the risk of dementia:

    https://youtu.be/YCauPN_DpmM?si=S1WVGu5oUyGEtl6e

    1. Statins are a type of medication that lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They are often prescribed to people with high cholesterol or who have risk factors for heart disease.

      1. I made it clear when my heart problems were first diagnosed, that I will not take statins and they've not been offered. A friend who also has Afib is taking them because her GP has persuaded her that she will have a stroke if she doesn't and of course I've been unable to convince her otherwise because hey, what do I know!

      2. There are three measures of cholesterol LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
        I found that target levels of safe levels of combinations of these didn’t correspond with levels for individual levels.

        This means that you could be prescribed statins for exceeding different measures of lipid levels.

  37. Morning all,

    I posted Dr Nand's thoughts yesterday about the influence of Hypoperfusion, isolation and metabolic syndrome on the progress of dementia as we grow older. MOH's side effects from statins resulted in muscular stiffness that at one time required confinement in bed.

    Dr Nand has suspicions that doctors are confined by protocols that encourage the use of statins. Here he explains the scientific reasons why he is encouraging his own family to avoid them to reduce the risk of dementia:

    https://youtu.be/YCauPN_DpmM?si=S1WVGu5oUyGEtl6e

  39. 401895+ up ticks,

    ALL the while we consent to "we are not allowed to say" we are consenting to the political overseers agenda.

    There has been British blood spilt by the gallon protecting our right to speak our minds openly, you go down the"we are not allowed to say" route then you had better get a prayer mat from the labour party shop.

    https://x.com/DanielJHannan/status/1891985262600741006

    1. Uman Rights Lawyers & judges squabbling over details.
      Daniel Hannan is correct. You are lidderally governed by lawyers & judges.
      Brown & Blair made sure these important decisions are not decided by parliament.

        1. Nor do I. The polite euphemism for sex amuses me.

          As for the claim, it amounts to little more than 1 minute 20 seconds each, even given the 1440 minutes available every 24 hours. Bonnie Blue completed her task in less than that. Then again, maybe she was using 2 or 3 orifices and both hands all at the same time. Her parents must be so proud.

          My view is that it's a complete fabrication.

      1. Well. With Dolly. She stares at me when she wants food. I used tried and tested torture techniques until i get a favourable response. She winks. I feed her.

        I blame Barbara….!

        I am now fully trained.

        1. Kadi paws at my leg. Usually at least an hour earlier than when his tea is due. I keep telling him, "you're twirly!" and he goes away for a while then tries again. Eventually tea time comes around and he gets fed.

  45. 401895+ up ticks,

    Suffice to say, if this is allowed it is at the cost of our nations children.
    These governing politico kapos and their parties / supporters / voters have shown us in the past their total disregard for indigenous children's welfare via the JAY report and the long, long, term cover-up.

    Dt,
    Migrant children crossed Channel alone – now their parents want asylum as well
    Lawyers argue the family should be reunited in the UK based on the European Convention on Human Rights

  46. BBC blasted for 'blindly spouting propaganda' after featuring boy claimed to be Hamas leader's SON in new Gaza documentary

    The BBC faced questions last night after it was accused of 'blindly spouting' Hamas propaganda in a documentary.

    Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone was broadcast on Monday on BBC Two with the aim of showing a 'vivid and unflinching view of life' in the strip.

    It was made by two producers based in London who remotely directed two cameramen on the ground over nine months.

    Last night, independent investigative journalist David Collier claimed one of the child narrators, Abdullah, is the son of a Hamas government minister and grandson of one of Hamas's founding members.

    Using Facebook and publicly available data online, Mr Collier claimed the show's young star is the son of Gaza's deputy minister of agriculture Dr Ayman Al-Yazouri.

    This would mean his grandfather would be the Hamas founder Ibrahim al-Yazouri, who has previously been jailed by Egypt and Israel for involvement in proscribed groups.

    The Daily Mail has not been able to independently verify Mr Collier's claims.

    He also says one of the documentary's cameramen, Amjad Al Fayoumi, posted the phrase 'the flood' with a saluting emoji on Facebook on October 7, 2023, seemingly endorsing the attack.

    Writing on his blog, Mr Collier said: 'The naivety, stupidity and arrogance of our media has long been apparent.

    'It has allowed Palestinian propagandists to turn our legacy channels into foolish outlets blindly spouting Hamas lies 24/7.'

    Last night, the former director of BBC Television Danny Cohen said: 'The BBC appears to have given an hour of prime-time coverage to the son of a senior member of the Hamas terrorist group.

    'Either they were not aware of the terrorist links because they did not carry out the most basic journalistic checks or the BBC did know and misled audiences about the family's deep involvement with terrorism.'

    A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added: 'If these allegations are true then the BBC has essentially published long-form propaganda for an antisemitic genocidal terror organisation with licence-fee funds.'

    A BBC spokesman responded: 'As the BBC has previously explained, the film was edited and directed from London, as independent international journalists are not allowed into Gaza.

    'The film gives audiences a rare glimpse of Gaza during the war, as well as an insight into the children's lives, it hears the voices of other Gazan civilians, several of whom voice anti-Hamas sentiments.'

    Responding to the claim that a cameraman supported the October 7 massacre, they said: 'The documentary was produced in line with BBC editorial guidelines and under the full editorial control of the BBC team in London.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14411151/bbc-hamas-propaganda-new-documentary.html

  48. 401895+ up ticks.

    Morning BT,
    If PIP, had a lisping wink the poor creature would tear itself to bits.

  49. Mosab Hassan Yousef (Arabic: مصعب حسن يوسف; born 5 May 1978) is an ex–Palestinian militant who defected to Israel in 1997, thereafter working as an Israeli spy for the Shin Bet until he moved to the United States in 2007. His father is Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas.

    Some people born into terrorist families see the light and speak out – I wonder how much air time the BBC gives Mosab Hassan Yousef.

    This video clip is worth watching.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=Hams+founnder%27s+anti+Hamas+son&oq=Hams+founnder%27s+anti+Hamas+son&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIHCAQQIRiPAtIBCTE0NDA1ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7ac99c7a,vid:kWbesE06-3A,st:0

  50. Why Iran wanted to arrest two British ‘spies’, 19 February 2025.

    A British couple detained in Iran has been charged with espionage, according to the Iranian judiciary news agency. Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been accused of entering the country ‘under the guise of tourists’ and of being ‘affiliated with intelligence services’. No actual evidence to back up the spying charges has been provided by the regime in Tehran, which has a habit of ignoring such legal niceties.

    I have no sympathy for these people, guilty or innocent, at all. Anyone dim enough to go to Iran in the present state of the world deserves whatever they get

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-iran-wanted-to-arrest-two-british-spies/

    1. I have no sympathy for these people, guilty or innocent, at all. Anyone dim enough to go to Iran in the present state of the world deserves whatever they get

      My father spent his entire working life in the employ of a major UK-based petrochemicals conglomerate which is now known to have had- indeed, to have been founded with- intimate links to UK Intel- for the sake of argument we'll call it ICI. He visited Iron Curtain countries in the course of his work- for the sake of argument we'll call them Hungary and Poland- several times. He was tapped-up by gentlemen in expensive suits and with expensive elocution to see if he felt inclined to do a bit of low-grade and supposedly low-risk snooping-about while he was over there. He didn't. They appealed to his sense of "doing something for our country"- his immediate thought, he told me, was "Your country and my country are not the same thing, gentlemen". This was back in the mid-to-late 1970s.

      1. In other words, this couple, innocent as they may appear, could be involved in some kind of intelligence gathering activity?

        1. When Zagarhi-Ratcliffe went to Iran it was initially reported that she was giving tuition to Iranian journalists courtesy of the BBC. This story quickly vanished from the MSM.

          1. "Tuition to Iranian journalists", eh? How we all laughed when Johnson blurted this out- effectively admitting what she'd been up to- on the floor of the House. She was such a shit spook anyway, wasn't she? Couldn't run a bloody bath, let alone an op to turn Iranian journalists against their own Government. And her hubby didn't seem exactly overjoyed to get her back home, did he?

          2. "Tuition to Iranian journalists", eh? How we all laughed when Johnson blurted this out- effectively admitting what she'd been up to- on the floor of the House. She was such a shit spook anyway, wasn't she? Couldn't run a bloody bath, let alone an op to turn Iranian journalists against their own Government. And her hubby didn't seem exactly overjoyed to get her back home, did he?

          3. "Tuition to Iranian journalists", eh? How we all laughed when Johnson blurted this out- effectively admitting what she'd been up to- on the floor of the House. She was such a shit spook anyway, wasn't she? Couldn't run a bloody bath, let alone an op to turn Iranian journalists against their own Government. And her hubby didn't seem exactly overjoyed to get her back home, did he?

        2. Not strictly relevant to this paricular case, but it's quite possible to be acting as an Intel asset without even realising that that's what you are- Roger Windsor's role in the Miners' Strike of 1984-85 comes straight to mind. Biggest bloody patsy since Kensit.

        3. Iran are using these twonks as a bargaining chip. The Irani secret service no more think they are spies than we do.
          Remember the Ayotollahs support Hamas and Hezbollah.

      2. I worked at ICI, in a lowly capacity, after leaving school. In the labs, there were always a few locked doors, wasn't common knowledge what was happening there but the suggestion was various experiments on dogs etc (although only barking I heard was from chemists). Nearby farmer had trouble selling milk from his cows. At one time, ICI referred to itself as the backbone of Britain, having labs East to West.

        1. Do you remember ICI Petrochemicals and Polymers? According to my Dad, what they were actually up to was genetic engineering.

          1. Sorry, no I don’t but wouldn’t surprise me. Hand in glove with government. I was very junior/naive, worked for a time on a Papilloma Scheme and realised what that was. I remember one of the dyes named ‘N*gger Brown’…that wouldn’t happen today, either. I recall a couple of bad accidents, one chap got caught in a chemical fire, details were awful. Summer was known as ‘Silly Season’ because of strikes.

          3. Yes they were. An efficient company, most liked working there. Had it’s own police force, every so often they would do a search of cars at home time, copper wire etc…meant a logjam and lots of protests. The Inspector was a tall man, made of stone. Btw..dog update, he’s had battery of tests incl scan, some nodules on his liver is the problem but nothing unexpected at his age (two months shy of 15 years). No meds as yet, just being a bit careful with his diet. Thanks for reply, Conway x

          4. Good news on the dog front, then. When I got home from the funeral, Winston hadn't chewed any more of the jacket in his crate. Fingers crossed it's a good sign he's settling down and not feeling so stressed. Kadi is becoming a bit recalcitrant to do things, but he's getting plenty of fuss (when he comes in reach) to try to reassure him he's still ichiban san. The chorus to greet me when I get back has to be heard to be believed!

          5. Smiling…thinking of the cacophony, very similar here. Dog won’t ever be completely ok but I hope to keep him off meds (eg steroids) as long as I can. He’s always been my shadow, but since separation going to vet now watches me all the time he’s awake. Good news on the jacket, trust the funeral went smoothly, been to a few of those but none so far this winter.

          7. All the funerals I’ve attended have been cremations, the last one my dad’s – I gave the eulogy, a lot of laughs, a lot of tears, a lot of flowers, then onto the pub which he would have enjoyed no end, especially as I was paying. Eucharist sounds so dignified, elegant by comparison. My late grandmother was 90, I think of her every day, she’s not alone. The Pope doesn’t seem well, perhaps further news there.

          8. Mavis will lie in state before the altar until tomorrow, then she’ll be cremated at Pentrebychan.

          9. All funerals I attended have been cremations, followed by scattering of ashes once dried (this includes all previous dogs). Sounds like she lived a good life, RIP songbird.

    2. Iran has for various reasons always placed Britain high on its list of key players in the espionage business.
      Can't think why.. LOL.

      1953 Iranian coup d'état.. British-instigated overthrow of the Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
      The Anglo-Persian Oil Company – a British company, founded in 1909 after the discovery of a large oil field in Iran, which would later become BP.

    3. Bloody leave 'em there.
      They were warned, both by officialdom and their own family.
      Not a penny, not a moment of the Bearish ambassador's time, should be expended on these numpties.

  51. From Coffee House, the Spectator

    After four hours of talks in Saudi Arabia, Russian and American negotiators have reportedly come up with a three-stage plan to end the war in Ukraine. According to Fox News, the plan includes a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine and the signing of a final agreement. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was neither informed nor invited to the talks, said that Russia and the US are discussing the same old ultimatum Moscow set at the start of full-scale war. ‘I wonder – if we didn’t accept such ultimatums in our most difficult moment, why does anyone think we would now?’, he said.

    Back in February 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin said he invaded Ukraine to protect people from the ‘Nazi regime in Kiev’. Since Russia couldn’t seize Kyiv or force the Ukrainian president to flee, the Kremlin’s only chance to declare victory – and potentially extract more concessions from a new Ukrainian leader – is to use a temporary ceasefire to oust Zelensky. For weeks now, Putin, in power since 1999, has been accusing Zelensky of being an ‘illegitimate’ president for overstaying his official term. Zelensky, Russia says, has no legal authority to sign any peace agreements as his presidency expired last May.

    Donald Trump is buying into it. When asked last week whether he supports possible territorial concessions from Kyiv, Trump said Zelensky will have to do ‘what needs to be done’, and that Ukrainians must have elections soon. ‘His [Zelensky’s] ratings are ‘not particularly good, to put it mildly’, Trump said. His Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, earlier suggested that Ukraine should aim for presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of the year, calling it a sign of a healthy democracy.

    But it’s not Trump’s or Putin’s call to make. In 2023, all Ukrainian deputies, including the opposition, signed a declaration agreeing to start the elections six months after the war ends. To hold elections now, Ukraine would have to lift martial law. Borders would reopen, allowing men to flee, leaving Ukraine more vulnerable to a Russian attack if a ceasefire falls apart. Russian troops will still be there: resting, rearming and pouring concrete to fortify their trenches. The Kremlin would spend millions to push through a pro-Russian candidate – or at least someone less stubborn than Zelensky. Political rivals would arise from the ashes, turning on each other in a blame game, fracturing Ukraine’s fragile unity before real negotiations with Russia begin.

    Both the US and Russia view elections in Ukraine as a key condition for a settlement largely based on the belief that Zelensky would lose. But what if he doesn’t? His approval has dropped from nearly 90 per cent to around 50 per cent in three years, yet it remains higher than any Ukrainian president before him. If he were to lose, it would likely be to Valery Zaluzhny, his former army chief, who hasn’t even declared the intention to run. And if Zaluzhny runs, he’ll be even more hawkish on Russia. That wouldn’t bring Trump’s Nobel peace prize any closer.

    After meeting with the Russian delegation, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said he was ‘convinced’ that Russia is serious about ending the war. He is being naive. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister who also attended the talks, told reporters that the US had asked Russia in Riyadh for a moratorium on strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The request was rejected. Russia, Lavrov claimed, has never targeted Ukraine’s energy grid. The 70 per cent of it that lies in ruins might disagree.

    Svitlana Morenets
    WRITTEN BY
    Svitlana Morenets
    Svitlana Morenets is a Ukrainian journalist and a staff writer at The Spectator. She was named Young Journalist of the Year in the 2024 UK Press Awards. Subscribe to her free weekly email, Ukraine in Focus, here

    2. Interestingly the Telegaffe today is saying that Zelensky is worried that Russia might use elections in Ukraine to sneak in a pro Russian "winner"! I seem to recall that a previous pro Russian leader of Ukraine was destabilised and forced out of office so that a pro Western replacement could be installed??

    3. " Ukraine would have to lift martial law. Borders would reopen, allowing men to flee,"
      Ah yes nothing says democracy harder than a state that refuses to let its citizens leave
      East Germany anyone…………….

      1. It's starting to look like building a long tall wall is necessary.
        Do we know of any people who like building one?

    2. She was imprisoned on "corruption" charges when the next prime minister supported by the other superpower came into office. She was very ill at one point, I believe, but I don#t know what happened to her.

  54. Zelensky could fall as price of peace
    Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war and demanded Kyiv hold elections, sparking fears Russia will seek a pro-Putin candidate
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/02/18/zelensky-will-be-forced-hold-elections-under-us-russia-plan/

    Good riddance if he does fall.

    I have always thought Zelensky was greedy, corrupt and vain to the point of being an extreme narcissist.

    I am astonished that there is so much support for this shabbily dressed little twerp in the BTL comments under this article.

    2. Zelensky is an actor of course. Paid to play the role. This war was always between Russia and the US, which is why it's appropriate that it be settled by Russia and the US. Which reminds me, has Victoria Nuland gone to ground? Where is she? Have the DOGE (I always think of the Doge's Palace in Venice and the Bridge of Sighs) team cancelled her yet?

      1. Ah, I've found the answer. It's comical, in a grim sort of way.

        Former Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Joins Covington
        Press Release
        December 2, 2024

        WASHINGTON—Victoria “Toria” Nuland, former Under Secretary and Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, has joined Covington’s Public Policy practice and Global Problem Solving group in Washington as a senior advisor.

        Toria has served under six Presidents and 10 Secretaries of State in various capacities, has 35 years of experience in foreign policy and strategy, diplomacy, communications, and management at the U.S. Department of State and the White House, and is a retired Career Ambassador in the U.S. Diplomatic Service, one of only 38 people in U.S. history to attain that rank.

        “In an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, global businesses require sophisticated and practical advice to tackle issues that involve both private and governmental interests. Covington’s lawyers and advisors bring decades of experience and judgment in commercial diplomacy gained at the highest levels of corporate and government practice,” said Doug Gibson, Covington’s chair. “Toria has worked across six different U.S. presidential administrations in a variety of high-profile roles, and her experience and insight will be invaluable to our clients as they encounter problems at the intersection of law, commerce, and policy.”

        “After 35 years in public service, I was drawn to Covington and the approach the firm takes to supporting clients as they navigate issues at the intersection of law, commerce, and policy. Covington’s team-based, collaborative culture is especially appealing to me and offers unique benefits to the firm’s clients as they seek comprehensive solutions to their business and policy challenges,” said Toria. “I am excited to become part of this worldclass team which includes more than 120 former government officials, to share my experience and understanding with clients, and to work on complex, cutting-edge geopolitical issues.”

        Until March 2024, Toria served as Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, where she oversaw and managed the work of all six regional bureaus and the counter-terrorism bureau. In this role, she helped lead U.S. diplomatic efforts to address complex crises in Ukraine, the Middle East and around the world, and also worked to broaden and strengthen America’s alliances and partnerships across Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Between July 2023 and February 2024, Toria served concurrently as Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, the second-ranking official in the State Department, and added U.S.-China relations to her portfolio.

        Toria served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2013 until 2017 under President Barack Obama and Secretary John Kerry. She was responsible for leading U.S. diplomatic relations with 50 countries in Europe and Eurasia, as well as with NATO, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Additionally, Toria was State Department Spokesperson during Secretary Hillary Clinton’s tenure from 2011 to 2013. She also was Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator on the Treaty on Conventional Arms Control in Europe from 2010 to 2011.

        During George W. Bush’s presidency, Toria served as U.S. Ambassador and Permanent Representative to NATO from 2005 to 2008. As NATO Ambassador, she focused heavily on strengthening Allied support for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, on NATO-Russia issues, and on the Alliance’s global partnerships and continued expansion. Prior to serving as NATO ambassador, she was Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney from 2003 to 2005.

        Toria joined the State Department's Foreign Service in 1984; early in her career, she served in various overseas postings, including in Russia, Mongolia, and China, and in many staff jobs in the State Department.

        Toria is also the Shelby Cullom Davis Professor in the Practice of International Diplomacy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Policy and a Board member of the National Endowment for Democracy.

      2. This war was always between Russia and the US, which is why it's appropriate that it be settled by Russia and the US.

        Indeed. As I said in Another Place, the fight will be stopped by the big hairy-arsed school bullies, not by the weedy little milk-monitors.

    3. Preserving and supporting the independent sovereign states of the world is not predicated on money alone; it is a philosophy supported by any reasonable, right-thinking person or government.

      Why would any normal, right-thinking person support Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

      He appears to be an out and out crook and wastrel

    4. I'd like to know who Zelenskyi's style guru is. I'm down to a short list of three:
      Mao tse Tung
      Michael Foot
      Charlie Chaplin (in The Tramp).

    5. I'm not at all astonished. In mainstream media he's portrayed as the brave leader of a country brutally attacked by a tyrannical neighbour. Most people receive news from mainstream media.

      1. It was obvious that the people on my table at the wake were of that ilk; they thought Trump was deluded. When I pointed out the elected government had been replaced in 2014, the response was "Russian puppet".

  55. The 25 things linked to a long life – and why having an open fire is one of them
    Where you live and what you eat: new study relates life expectancy to some unexpected factors
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/19/cheese-eating-and-open-fires-linked-to-longer-life/

    BTL

    Do wood burning stoves count?

    We have a woodburning stove with a very effective airwash system which keeps the glass crystal clean and allows us to have a splendid and reassuring view of the homely and comforting flames.

  57. Heavy drizzle now , poor golfers .. still they do have their waterproofs etc, and all chaps together stoically pushing their trolleys, I can imagine their spectacles will be wiped a million times , nothing worse is there but rain splattered spectacles .

    My kitchen window faces the front garden .. and to my delight and everything else .. a RAVEN was perched on the water dish the garden birds splash around in .. it was a raven , I rushed into another room to grab my phone/camera, and by the time I had tapped in the bird flew off ..it was majestic .

      1. Good morning Bill ,

        The garden is empty and bedraggled at the moment , very miserable.

        We have a long 7ft high hedge ,Leylandii , which has developed brown bits , in patches , and Moh just doesn't know what to do ..

        My large Salvia Hot lips is looking frail , such a beautiful plant when in flower , but should I dig it up and plant a replacement ..

        We should have a Gardener Question time on here 😉🙄

        The garden mole has tunnelled off to somewhere else .

        https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/raven

        1. Leylandii can turn brown for a number of reasons, including drought, trimming, pests, and fungal infections.
          Drought

          Water deficiency
          When Leylandii are too dry, their needles turn yellow and then brown. This can be caused by a lack of water or by waterlogging.

          Temperature fluctuations
          Leylandii are sensitive to extreme temperatures, and sudden drops or extended periods of cold can cause their foliage to turn brown.

          Trimming

          Over-trimming: Trimming a hedge too hard or too often can cause brown patches to appear.

          Drastic trimming: Trimming too drastically can cause brown discolouration.

          Pests

          Conifer shoot miner: A small moth that can cause browning of conifer hedges.

          Cypress Aphid: Can cause brown patches on Leylandii hedges.

          Fungal infections

          Soil-borne fungus: Can cause Leylandii to die out one by one.

          Fungal infection on the plant itself: Can lead to cancer formation.

          Other causes Magnesium deficiency in the soil and Salt damage.
          If you're unsure of the cause of the brown patches or how to address them effectively, you can consult with a professional arborist or horticulturist.

          1. Great response , thankyou Phizzee, I will relay that information back to bossman hedge trimmer and grass maintainer , when he is picked up after golf match( his car battery is flat)

          3. Just go for the full Brazilian, should sort out the pests, fungal infections and drought. Cant be too careful with your bushes.

        2. eveloped brown bits , in patches , and Moh just doesn't know what to do ..

          Paint them…..

        3. I don’t think Leylandii regenerate after pruning. I suppose after all the high humidity weather we’ve had it could be fungal.
          Our Sarcococca confusa is in full flower at the moment and the scent from them is magnificent at this time of the year, best ever in the 29 years we’ve lived here, However we’re moving on Monday to the other side of the village into a bungalow, stairs have got the better of my arthritic knees.

    2. We had a glimmer of sunshine for a couple of minutes – not so good now and I'm going out for lunch shortly.
      My OH was very excited just now to see a Red Kite just overhead.

      1. They're great, aren't they? Red Kites, I mean. Year by year, month by month, they edge closer to our back garden. What my attitude would be if they finally got there is something else, of course!

          2. From an article in the Spectator three years ago:

            "The RSPB assures us that red kites feed mainly on carrion and earthworms and, as opportunists, the occasional small mammal. While it is true they eat roadkill, earthworms and livestock afterbirth, they also destroy a great deal more than just the ‘occasional’ mammal.

            Red kites predate all livestock of a weight they can carry away. This includes field voles and dormice, but also the chicks of ground nesting birds such as skylarks, lapwings, grey partridges and curlews, all of which are on the RSPB’s Red List of great conservation concern. I have witnessed kites taking songbird fledglings from my garden.

            When I’m haymaking, the red kites target the leverets. Haymaking is precarious and timing is important. Within five minutes of starting to mow there will be 20-plus red kites circling overhead, intending to hoover up any birds or mammals disturbed by my work. Long-term, the owl’s safety will be jeopardised if there is a shortage of prey.

            The red kites threaten my chickens and geese too, which causes great distress. Chickens are wonderfully secretive and will disappear to sit on a clutch of eggs safely concealed in a barn, only to reappear three weeks later with a large brood. Twenty years ago, my hens could rear their chicks to adulthood, which gave my late wife and me immense enjoyment. Now, red kites will snatch the chicks on the day they emerge.

            Five years ago my goose’s 11 newly hatched goslings were attacked and carried off by six kites, despite my best efforts. It was heartbreaking. Mallard ducks used to nest and rear their young on our pond. They have realised that their efforts are futile and given up.

            The sight of majestic red kites soaring above the Chiltern Hills is captivating. No wonder that photographers visit the area for shots of this beautiful bird. And the RSPB is right to say that they’re part of Britain’s history. In Victorian London, when the skies were crowded with kites, they acquired the sobriquet of ‘Hat Birds’ for their propensity for snatching fur hats from pedestrians. But as a result of their reintroduction, other bird species have been more than decimated. In my youth I would see 200 lapwings trailing behind a plough in the autumn. They have all but disappeared from lowland areas of England and instead we now see as many as 90 red kites hoovering up invertebrates behind a plough or cultivator."

          3. Red Kites are the commonest raptor here (they are also the bird emblem of the county). They remain in a balanced ecosphere with all other wildlife in this region. No one complains about them and no other life forms have been put in danger as a result of their presence for hundreds of years.

          5. I did not imply that they did. All I inferred was that there is far less interference in the natural order, here, than there seems to be in the UK.

          6. Thank you – I had no idea of their predatory nature. It also explains why on another occasion I counted 14 kites circling above a field being mown….

          9. Nowhere is "overrun" with them!

            The only species "overrunning" anywhere is the upright two-legged vermin.

        2. I get them flying over my garden all the time (I live in Skåne, southern Sweden). It was from here that the eggs were donated, 30-odd years ago, to replenish an extinct English population.

      2. I understand not everyone would agree to my past methods of recycling. We had two separate neighbours with chickens which encouraged rats. The rats caused a lot of problems and even got into our house. I set a rat cage trap and caught several then, a couple of years ago. I use to drop the cage into the water butt. Then put the bodies on the shed roof. The local Red Kites soon arrived to fly in and scoop their rewards.
        Unfortunately I was never able to get a photograph.

        1. The red kites spread along the M4 corridor and reached Cirencester some years ago – but we never saw them here, though my friend a couple of miles away did. The first one we saw was the other week, a mile or so away, and now this one, right overhead.

  58. Interesting piece here about USAID and the funding of perception management.
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/pattern-beneath-usaid-and-architecture-perception
    Edit: forgot the link!
    With an annual budget of nearly $40 billion and operations in over 100 countries, it represents one of the largest foreign aid institutions in the world. But recent disclosures reveal its true nature as something far more systematic: an architect of global consciousness. Consider: Reuters, one of the world's most trusted news sources, received USAID funding for 'Large Scale Social Deception' and 'Social Engineering Defence.' While there's debate about the exact scope of these programs, the implications are staggering: a division of one of the world's most relied-upon sources for objective reporting was paid by a US government agency for systemic reality construction. This funding goes beyond traditional media support, representing a deliberate infrastructure for discourse framing that fundamentally challenges the concept of 'objective' reporting.

  59. Zelensky condemns Trump demanding $500bn minerals. I won't sell my country'.

    However, I would like to join the EU.. and hand over the lot gratis, in return for a couple of million migrants,
    and won't bother about asking for protection because they can't even protect their own borders.

      1. Does that mean i'm buying you lunch at the Lanesborough?

        Trump deal… You provide the fascinators and Daimlers and i will provide the insults.

    4. Instructions for Bradford residents to face away from the pram when defecating in the streets. Can't be too careful with public hygiene.

  61. Well, I larfed.
    My "boys" don't realise how lucky they are!

    "In bodycam footage released by the department, the 81-year-old could be heard telling an officer, 'get your f****ing hands off me motherf***er', after she refused to undergo a field sobriety test.

    Adams proceeded to slap the officer, who had spotted cans of beers in her car, as her son appeared on the scene, shouting about her old age."

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14410459/ancient-karen-harsh-lesson-florida-cops-arrested.html

  62. Well, that was fun. After lunch, I opened a packet of Lavazzo coffee. It bragged that it was "facile apertura". A pair of scissors, a knife and some blood – and ten minutes later….

    2. Ah yes, packaging! The scourge of modern living! The best bit of packaging, which never fails is the Catsan cat litter bag! Of course now, the next one I open will require a trip to A&E!

      1. I bought a bottle of water in the Wigmore Hall yesterday evening and couldn't for the life of me get the top off. Nor could the nice couple sitting next to me, who offered to help. I took it down to the bar in the interval and with a slight look of disdain, the young bartender twisted it straight off with ease.

          2. The bar man was not doing his job properly. Not enough to make a complaint and get him into trouble though. Make sure you ask next time. Smiling sweetly. :@)

        4. Google 'rubber jar opener' Sue – they're really excellent in helping open bottles – my wife swears by them (she says 'where's the f**cking jar opener' – actually she'd kill me if she knew I'd just typed that….)

      2. The way plastic bottle tops are now connected to the bottle are an annoyance as far as I'm concerned.

  63. Well, that was fun. After lunch, I opened a packet of Lavazzo coffee. It bragged that it was "facile apertura". A pair of scissors, a knife and some blood – and ten minutes later….

  66. What was that line??
    Oh yeah "First kill all the lawyers"
    "Jailing a “very dangerous” asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenager could breach his human rights, a court heard.

    Hassan Abou Hayleh, 39, attacked the 19 year-old after driving around at 3am looking for vulnerable drunk women.

    He was due to be sentenced on Monday at Bournemouth Crown Court, but the hearing was adjourned after his defence barrister argued that sending him to prison might breach his human rights.

    Graham Gilbert claimed that Hayleh was suffering from PTSD, having been tortured in a Syrian jail under the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian president.

    The lawyer said that jail would make the defendant’s condition worse."
    Given the judicial decisions lately we are flucked

          1. I never bothered. I just said it was a fair cop guv'nor. Then the lazy sods just gave me a clip round the ear and let me go.

            The village copper never did find out who destroyed his son's chopper bike. He didn't think it was me because i always owned up. Sucker !

          2. Oh, I've employed the best there is, and very successfully. Certain barristers I came across — who were demonstrably not the brightest of the bunch, despite their status — gave me much sport with their risibly feeble lines of interrogation when I was being cross-examined. I often had the judge and jury smirking at how I was playing them like a fish on the line and making them dearly wish that they had not attempted to joust with me.

            Sample quote from one particular judge: "I would suggest, Mr ***********, that you should change your line of questioning since it is abundantly clear to me, and to the members of the jury, that the officer has your measure."

          3. Oh, I've employed the best there is, and very successfully. Certain barristers I came across — who were demonstrably not the brightest of the bunch, despite their status — gave me much sport with their risibly feeble lines of interrogation when I was being cross-examined. I often had the judge and jury smirking at how I was playing them like a fish on the line and making them dearly wish that they had not attempted to joust with me.

            Sample quote from one particular judge: "I would suggest, Mr ***********, that you should change your line of questioning since ist is abundantly clear to me, and to the members of the jury, that the officer has your measure."

    4. I would have thought that jailing a 52 yo grandma would lead to trauma over the period of incarceration. Anyway, when we all get banged up, it sounds like a fine defence..

  67. Another hour's ladder work. I was fooled by the sunshine – after 20 minutes it disappeared and it became colder and colder. Had to stop because my fingers refused to work so I could not tie tape to attach the pruned shoots of the rosa banksia.

    2. MB started on another post-Winter tidy up but had to admit defeat.
      The sunshine was a snare and a delusion.

  69. Pope ‘in good spirits’ despite pneumonia.

    Pope Francis is suffering from pneumonia but is nevertheless in “good spirits”, the Vatican has said.

    The Holy See was forced to cancel this weekend’s Holy Year events, the Vatican added, after scans of his chest which revealed the inflammatory condition in both lungs. The Vatican said: “The follow-up chest CT scan to which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon… demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy.”

    Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on Friday after a week-long battle with bronchitis. A Vatican spokesman said: “He… asks, with a grateful heart, that we continue to pray for him.”

    I'm wondering if, before the year is out (if not the winter), there will be a stoking of the fireplace within the Sistine Chapel.

  70. Back from lunch out with my old colleagues….. didn't have far to go but it was ages since I'd been to the pub we went to. Lunch was good and we always have plenty to chat about.

  73. ‘The anger in Germany is immense. 19 February 2025.

    Germany’s ruling Social Democrats (SPD) are facing losses the party has not seen since the 19th century in this weekend’s federal elections, while the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to double its vote share. Here, historian and journalist Katja Hoyer explains how a failing economy, out-of-control migration and intrusive Net Zero policies have led to mass disaffection with the mainstream parties. She also discusses the growing class divide, the rise and fall of ‘left-conservatism’, and why JD Vance’s warnings about free speech resonated with East Germans. Watch, share and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    I have great hopes for Sunday’s German General Election. I think that the AFD is going to break through and seize a commanding position. Who knows? Perhaps make Alice Weidel the next Chancellor? A blow that would equal Trump’s Presidency in its political effect on Europe. .

    https://www.spiked-online.com/video/the-anger-in-germany-is-immense/

    1. They need to close borders. Abandon net zero. Withdraw from Nato and the ECHR and the EU. Prioritise the old folks, the vulnerable and the veterans. And do a trade deal with Russia.

      Oh ! That's us !

      1. Starmer is too stupid to negotiate with Trump. He thinks he is Churchill as that the UK is still an Empire with credible armed forces.

        It will be necessary for Starmer and his freeloading wastrels to be removed before sanity can be restored and meaningful common sense negotiations with Trump to commence.

        1. I am not seeing it from any politician. If Labour/Wet Cons/Libs. I am emigrating. Getting out before the rush.

      1. My German friends disagree.

        All the signs are that Germans know full well that their present de-industrialisation is self inflicted and derived in large part from the failure of sanctions on Russia and resultant loss of cheap energy.

        Add to this the mad policies of the Greens and the writing is on the wall for their ruling elites and by the way the wretched parasitic EU.

    1. My crocuses are out now. Spring is on its way, although it might take a detour or two before it arrives.

      1. Our crocuses have been out for a couple of weeks – but they are all purple. All the yellow ones seem to have disappeared.

  75. Afternoon all. Lovely send off for an old member of the congregation this morning. A life well lived.

  76. Had suture clips removed this morning at the GP. It's the first time I've undergone this procedure and far less painful than I had feared. The nurse must be a skilled operator as I barely felt a thing. Nearly half out today, the remainder Friday afternoon.

    1. Had my "staples" removed a while ago by our practice nurse – it did sting a bit but she was very good looking so I wasn’t able to whimper pitifully!!

    2. When I was "done" I was staggered how fast it was, a lot quicker than I am with a staple remover, and it was painless.

        1. In that case it was a new knee.

          I’ve lost count of the number of knee operations I’ve had over the years, that last one was the war to end wars.

          HG is/was a superb physio and over the years her contacts ensured I was treated by some of the very best knee specialists.
          I was even one of David Dandy’s early arthroscopy patients because she did work for him!

          1. Ahh I get it – I think it’s what I still call ‘stitches’?

            I’ve had more than I can remember from my Rugby days – mainly in my head (probably about 20-25 in total) – my wife used to take them out to save me time!

          4. These were metal.
            They did the equivalent.

            You were a forward, so head was normal, I was a back, so knees and ankles tended to be the main break points.

          5. I never had metal ones – they seemed to be reserved for very serious cuts, they made me shudder when I saw them!!

  77. Lefties in Trump meltdown.. LOL.

    Clearly, what does Putin have over Trump?
    Trump is dangerously wrong!
    And Trump is not a Dictator?
    Signing everything off with executive orders, and he calls Zelensky a dictator? the actions of a dictator.

  78. Wordle No. 1,341 4/6

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

    Wordle 19 Feb 2025

    A frantic Par Four?

    1. I was panicking on this one for a while

      Wordle 1,341 5/6

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

    2. Good recovery there, Rene! Par here also….

      Wordle 1,341 4/6

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

    4. Par for me too.

      Wordle 1,341 4/6

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

      1. #metoo.
        Wordle 1,341 4/6

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

    5. Back from 5'oclock club a bit late, but my earlier effort went well.
      Knowing previous Wordle answers is very useful.

      Wordle 1,341 2/6

      ⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  79. The good old liberal party in Canada have just released an attack ad against our conservative leader, calling him unelectable because he is like Trump.

    I am sure that will go down well with Trump when he gets to negotiations on tariffs.

      1. You wouldn't think so if you hear the politicians threatening retaliation.

        For the past ten years Trudeau and his pathetic net zero groupies have worked to reject any pipeline project in Canada, their zealous ways are now coming home to bite us because there are no canadian routes for oil from Alberta to the East..

        The whole debacle could easily lead to two way cuts in oil, gas and electricity supplies across the border which could easily lead to Alberta breaking away from Canada if their exports are restricted.

      2. The big round bale of hay on the right of the picture. If they are watered and kept in a warm place they might eventually hatch into little lawn tracts and after a few years many do grow into nice adult tractors.

        1. Thank you! I only remember vaguely cylindrical bundles wrapped in black plastic. I like the idea of tractor eggs! 🙂

  82. The reverence with which European "leaders" treat the clown Zelensky reminds me of the way the same dolts worshipped the Swedish Muppet.

    1. Yet we all knew this from the outset and it still had to be all played out, Billions wasted and tens of thousands of lives lost

        1. I've got a feeling that part of the deal for him to clear off will be that he can keep some of it.

          5. Quite a lot killed and maimed on both sides. Quite a lot murdered on both sides, but the Russians have kidnapped thousands of Ukrainian children. And when all is said and done, it was the Russians who sent their rag, tag and bobtail army to attack.
            Peace, yes, but Putin shouldn't profit.

    2. The European “leaders” have vested interests in keeping the war in Ukraine going. They dreamed of defeating Russia using Ukrainian armies and seizing Russian assets. They had a sideline in taking over Black Sea ports such as Odessa and allowing Blackrock to grab the rest under the guise of “reconstruction”.

      These evil desires originated under Obama and merely accelerated under Biden.

      The comparison with the worship of on the one hand a diminutive actor and on the other the Swedish Muppet are correct. Both are globalist puppets funded by Soros to perform their allotted tasks.

  84. From Coffee House the Spectator

    15 Feb 2025
    Coffee House
    Owen MatthewsOwen Matthews
    Could Zelensky have made a deal to stop the war?
    19 February 2025, 2:27pm

    Is there any truth to Donald Trump’s extraordinary and, to many, highly offensive comments apparently blaming Volodymir Zelensky for starting the war? Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said he was ‘disappointed’ that the Ukrainian leader complained about being left out of talks between the US and Russia in Riyad and claimed that Zelensky ‘could have made a deal’ to avert war. A ‘half baked’ negotiator could have secured a settlement years ago ‘without the loss of much land,’ claimed Trump.

    Trump is factually wrong – but not for the reason most commentators have assumed. Zelensky could indeed have averted the war back in October 2019, and came very close to doing so. But the deal that would have kept Donbas inside Ukraine was derailed not by Zelensky but by violent threats from Ukrainian ultranationalists.

    The story of the failed Donbas referendum is now little remembered. But it marked a crucial turning point in the Kremlin’s path to full-scale invasion two and a half years later. Also forgotten is the fact that Zelensky was elected by a massive 73 per cent of the vote in May 2019 on a platform of bringing peace with Russia, defusing Ukraine’s ongoing culture wars over the Russian language and returning the two rebel regions of the Donbas to Kyiv’s fold.

    Paradoxically, back then the Kremlin agreed with Zelensky. Putin had invaded the Crimean peninsula in February 2014 and formally declared it part of the Russian Federation three months later. But the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (LDNR) were a different story. Though crawling with agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service and military intelligence, as well as Russian soldiers disguised as locals, the Donbas republics were not formally occupied by Moscow. Indeed the Kremlin repeatedly insisted that the enclaves were part of Ukraine, including at both rounds of peace talks in Minsk in 2014 and 2015.

    Putin’s bottom-line strategic goal was to keep Ukraine out of Nato. Between 2014 and 2019, the Kremlin’s strategy for achieving this was to push for the rebel republics to rejoin Ukraine, but under a new constitutional arrangement that would have given them a veto on the country’s international alliances.

    Zelensky’s predecessor Petro Poroshenko was strongly opposed to a more federal Ukraine and dragged his feet on a commitment he had made in Minsk to hold local referendums in the rebel republics. But if a new constitution was the price of peace, Zelensky was ready to pay it. In June 2019 he appointed former president Leonid Kuchma – a veteran of talks with Moscow who had longstanding contacts in Russia – as Ukraine’s representative in the Tripartite Contact Group for a settlement of the conflict. In July, Zelensky held his first telephone conversation with Putin and urged him to enter into a new round of talks mediated by European countries, as well as arranging confidence-building prisoner swaps (though Putin, characteristically, reneged on key elements of the exchange).

    Zelensky finally stuck a referendum deal after several rounds of negotiations with the thuggish LDNR leadership and with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, which was monitoring a ceasefire. The citizens of the rebel republics would be asked whether they wished to rejoin Ukraine on pre-secession terms, or under a new self-governing status. The referendum would be overseen and certified by the OSCE. Zelensky’s hope was that the republics would return to Kyiv’s control in a new federal system, Ukraine would stay out of Nato, and the threat of further invasion would be defused. The price would be to effectively acknowledge the loss of Crimea. The prize was that Russia would no longer have a reason to threaten Ukraine’s independence.

    Unhelpfully, separatist media in the occupied Donbas crowed that Zelensky’s signing of the agreement was ‘a victory for the DNR and the LNR over Ukraine.’ But the most passionate opposition to Zelensky’s initiative came from hardline Ukrainian nationalists. Thousands of protesters gathered on Kyiv’s Maidan Square under the slogan ‘No capitulation!’ More menacingly, several Ukrainian nationalist militias, including the Azov Battalion that was then fighting in the Luhansk region of Donbas, refused to accept the agreement. Andriy Biletsky, the leader of the far-right National Corps and first commander of the Azov Battalion, accused Zelensky of ‘disrespecting’ veterans and of acting on behalf of the Kremlin. Zelensky met Biletsky and other militia leaders in an attempt to convince them to surrender their unregistered weapons and accept the peace accord. They refused, and the referendum plan collapsed – and with it any realistic chance of peace in Donbas.

    By the time Putin and Zelensky held their first – and so far only – meeting in Paris in December 2019, the Kremlin had lost faith in Zelensky’s ability to reintegrate Donetsk and Luhansk into Ukraine. Zelensky also continued to insist that Ukraine would join Nato. A different, far more radical course would be needed to keep wayward Ukraine in check, Putin decided. Russia was, from that moment, firmly on the path to war.

    So Trump was factually correct when he said that Putin’s later full scale invasion could have been averted back in 2019. But he is wrong to suggest that this was Zelensky’s fault. On the contrary, Zelensky spent the early years of his presidency strenuously working to put the referendum plan together. And it was neither Putin nor the truculent rebels of the Donbas who derailed it but ultranationalists in Kyiv. The rest is history.

    Written by
    Owen Matthews
    Owen Matthews writes about Russia for The Spectator and is the author of Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin’s War Against Ukraine.

    1. And doubtless the type of ultranationalists (aka Nazis) who were killing pro-Russian people, which was one of the reasons Putin attacked.

      Given that, I am surprised Zelensky didn't sue for peace at the earliest opportunity.
      Johnson has a lot to answer for.

      Hell's teeth, Putin might even have provided support for Zelensky to rid Ukraine of the ultras.

      1. I can see your point.
        Reading that article – and, boy, did I need to concentrate – it would appear that Johnson's posturing did not exactly help matters.
        As I have said before, there's a 1,000+ year of very complicated history between Russia and Ukraine. It is not just a matter of cowboys and Indians.

        2. Article by Vladimir Putin ”On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians“

          July 12, 2021 17:00

          (The lengthy article is worth reading from the beginning .. it is long , historical and VERY informative )

          http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

          Ukraine and Russia have developed as a single economic system over decades and centuries. The profound cooperation we had 30 years ago is an example for the European Union to look up to. We are natural complementary economic partners. Such a close relationship can strengthen competitive advantages, increasing the potential of both countries.

          Ukraine used to possess great potential, which included powerful infrastructure, gas transportation system, advanced shipbuilding, aviation, rocket and instrument engineering industries, as well as world-class scientific, design and engineering schools. Taking over this legacy and declaring independence, Ukrainian leaders promised that the Ukrainian economy would be one of the leading ones and the standard of living would be among the best in Europe.

          Today, high-tech industrial giants that were once the pride of Ukraine and the entire Union, are sinking. Engineering output has dropped by 42 per cent over ten years. The scale of deindustrialization and overall economic degradation is visible in Ukraine's electricity production, which has seen a nearly two-time decrease in 30 years. Finally, according to IMF reports, in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Ukraine's GDP per capita had been below USD 4 thousand. This is less than in the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Moldova, or unrecognized Kosovo. Nowadays, Ukraine is Europe's poorest country.

          Who is to blame for this? Is it the people of Ukraine's fault? Certainly not. It was the Ukrainian authorities who waisted and frittered away the achievements of many generations. We know how hardworking and talented the people of Ukraine are. They can achieve success and outstanding results with perseverance and determination. And these qualities, as well as their openness, innate optimism and hospitality have not gone. The feelings of millions of people who treat Russia not just well but with great affection, just as we feel about Ukraine, remain the same.

          Until 2014, hundreds of agreements and joint projects were aimed at developing our economies, business and cultural ties, strengthening security, and solving common social and environmental problems. They brought tangible benefits to people – both in Russia and Ukraine. This is what we believed to be most important. And that is why we had a fruitful interaction with all, I emphasize, with all the leaders of Ukraine.

          Even after the events in Kiev of 2014, I charged the Russian government to elaborate options for preserving and maintaining our economic ties within relevant ministries and agencies. However, there was and is still no mutual will to do the same. Nevertheless, Russia is still one of Ukraine's top three trading partners, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are coming to us to work, and they find a welcome reception and support. So that what the ”aggressor state“ is.

          When the USSR collapsed, many people in Russia and Ukraine sincerely believed and assumed that our close cultural, spiritual and economic ties would certainly last, as would the commonality of our people, who had always had a sense of unity at their core. However, events – at first gradually, and then more rapidly – started to move in a different direction.

          In essence, Ukraine's ruling circles decided to justify their country's independence through the denial of its past, however, except for border issues. They began to mythologize and rewrite history, edit out everything that united us, and refer to the period when Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union as an occupation. The common tragedy of collectivization and famine of the early 1930s was portrayed as the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

          Radicals and neo-Nazis were open and more and more insolent about their ambitions. They were indulged by both the official authorities and local oligarchs, who robbed the people of Ukraine and kept their stolen money in Western banks, ready to sell their motherland for the sake of preserving their capital. To this should be added the persistent weakness of state institutions and the position of a willing hostage to someone else's geopolitical will.

          I recall that long ago, well before 2014, the U.S. and EU countries systematically and consistently pushed Ukraine to curtail and limit economic cooperation with Russia. We, as the largest trade and economic partner of Ukraine, suggested discussing the emerging problems in the Ukraine-Russia-EU format. But every time we were told that Russia had nothing to do with it and that the issue concerned only the EU and Ukraine. De facto Western countries rejected Russia's repeated calls for dialogue.

          Step by step, Ukraine was dragged into a dangerous geopolitical game aimed at turning Ukraine into a barrier between Europe and Russia, a springboard against Russia. Inevitably, there came a time when the concept of ”Ukraine is not Russia“ was no longer an option. There was a need for the ”anti-Russia“ concept which we will never accept.

          The owners of this project took as a basis the old groundwork of the Polish-Austrian ideologists to create an ”anti-Moscow Russia“. And there is no need to deceive anyone that this is being done in the interests of the people of Ukraine. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth never needed Ukrainian culture, much less Cossack autonomy. In Austria-Hungary, historical Russian lands were mercilessly exploited and remained the poorest. The Nazis, abetted by collaborators from the OUN-UPA, did not need Ukraine, but a living space and slaves for Aryan overlords.

          .Nor were the interests of the Ukrainian people thought of in February 2014. The legitimate public discontent, caused by acute socio-economic problems, mistakes, and inconsistent actions of the authorities of the time, was simply cynically exploited. Western countries directly interfered in Ukraine's internal affairs and supported the coup. Radical nationalist groups served as its battering ram. Their slogans, ideology, and blatant aggressive Russophobia have to a large extent become defining elements of state policy in Ukraine.

          All the things that united us and bring us together so far came under attack. First and foremost, the Russian language. Let me remind you that the new ”Maidan“ authorities first tried to repeal the law on state language policy. Then there was the law on the ”purification of power“, the law on education that virtually cut the Russian language out of the educational process.

          Lastly, as early as May of this year, the current president introduced a bill on ”indigenous peoples“ to the Rada. Only those who constitute an ethnic minority and do not have their own state entity outside Ukraine are recognized as indigenous. The law has been passed. New seeds of discord have been sown. And this is happening in a country, as I have already noted, that is very complex in terms of its territorial, national and linguistic composition, and its history of formation.

          There may be an argument: if you are talking about a single large nation, a triune nation, then what difference does it make who people consider themselves to be – Russians, Ukrainians, or Belarusians. I completely agree with this. Especially since the determination of nationality, particularly in mixed families, is the right of every individual, free to make his or her own choice.

          But the fact is that the situation in Ukraine today is completely different because it involves a forced change of identity. And the most despicable thing is that the Russians in Ukraine are being forced not only to deny their roots, generations of their ancestors but also to believe that Russia is their enemy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the path of forced assimilation, the formation of an ethnically pure Ukrainian state, aggressive towards Russia, is comparable in its consequences to the use of weapons of mass destruction against us. As a result of such a harsh and artificial division of Russians and Ukrainians, the Russian people in all may decrease by hundreds of thousands or even millions.

          Our spiritual unity has also been attacked. As in the days of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a new ecclesiastical has been initiated. The secular authorities, making no secret of their political aims, have blatantly interfered in church life and brought things to a split, to the seizure of churches, the beating of priests and monks. Even extensive autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church while maintaining spiritual unity with the Moscow Patriarchate strongly displeases them. They have to destroy this prominent and centuries-old symbol of our kinship at all costs.

          I think it is also natural that the representatives of Ukraine over and over again vote against the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism. Marches and torchlit processions in honor of remaining war criminals from the SS units take place under the protection of the official authorities. Mazepa, who betrayed everyone, Petliura, who paid for Polish patronage with Ukrainian lands, and Bandera, who collaborated with the Nazis, are ranked as national heroes. Everything is being done to erase from the memory of young generations the names of genuine patriots and victors, who have always been the pride of Ukraine.

          For the Ukrainians who fought in the Red Army, in partisan units, the Great Patriotic War was indeed a patriotic war because they were defending their home, their great common Motherland. Over two thousand soldiers became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Among them are legendary pilot Ivan Kozhedub, fearless sniper, defender of Odessa and Sevastopol Lyudmila Pavlichenko, valiant guerrilla commander Sidor Kovpak. This indomitable generation fought, those people gave their lives for our future, for us. To forget their feat is to betray our grandfathers, mothers and fathers.

          The anti-Russia project has been rejected by millions of Ukrainians. The people of Crimea and residents of Sevastopol made their historic choice. And people in the southeast peacefully tried to defend their stance. Yet, all of them, including children, were labeled as separatists and terrorists. They were threatened with ethnic cleansing and the use of military force. And the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk took up arms to defend their home, their language and their lives. Were they left any other choice after the riots that swept through the cities of Ukraine, after the horror and tragedy of 2 May 2014 in Odessa where Ukrainian neo-Nazis burned people alive making a new Khatyn out of it? The same massacre was ready to be carried out by the followers of Bandera in Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Lugansk. Even now they do not abandon such plans. They are biding their time. But their time will not come.

          The coup d'état and the subsequent actions of the Kiev authorities inevitably provoked confrontation and civil war. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that the total number of victims in the conflict in Donbas has exceeded 13,000. Among them are the elderly and children. These are terrible, irreparable losses.

          Russia has done everything to stop fratricide. The Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbas have been concluded. I am convinced that they still have no alternative. In any case, no one has withdrawn their signatures from the Minsk Package of Measures or from the relevant statements by the leaders of the Normandy format countries. No one has initiated a review of the United Nations Security Council resolution of 17 February 2015.

          During official negotiations, especially after being reined in by Western partners, Ukraine's representatives regularly declare their ”full adherence“ to the Minsk agreements, but are in fact guided by a position of ”unacceptability“. They do not intend to seriously discuss either the special status of Donbas or safeguards for the people living there. They prefer to exploit the image of the ”victim of external aggression“ and peddle Russophobia. They arrange bloody provocations in Donbas. In short, they attract the attention of external patrons and masters by all means.

          Apparently, and I am becoming more and more convinced of this: Kiev simply does not need Donbas. Why? Because, firstly, the inhabitants of these regions will never accept the order that they have tried and are trying to impose by force, blockade and threats. And secondly, the outcome of both Minsk‑1 and Minsk‑2 which give a real chance to peacefully restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine by coming to an agreement directly with the DPR and LPR with Russia, Germany and France as mediators, contradicts the entire logic of the anti-Russia project. And it can only be sustained by the constant cultivation of the image of an internal and external enemy. And I would add – under the protection and control of the Western powers.

          This is what is actually happening. First of all, we are facing the creation of a climate of fear in Ukrainian society, aggressive rhetoric, indulging neo-Nazis and militarising the country. Along with that we are witnessing not just complete dependence but direct external control, including the supervision of the Ukrainian authorities, security services and armed forces by foreign advisers, military ”development“ of the territory of Ukraine and deployment of NATO infrastructure. It is no coincidence that the aforementioned flagrant law on ”indigenous peoples“ was adopted under the cover of large-scale NATO exercises in Ukraine.

          This is also a disguise for the takeover of the rest of the Ukrainian economy and the exploitation of its natural resources. The sale of agricultural land is not far off, and it is obvious who will buy it up. From time to time, Ukraine is indeed given financial resources and loans, but under their own conditions and pursuing their own interests, with preferences and benefits for Western companies. By the way, who will pay these debts back? Apparently, it is assumed that this will have to be done not only by today's generation of Ukrainians but also by their children, grandchildren and probably great-grandchildren.

          The Western authors of the anti-Russia project set up the Ukrainian political system in such a way that presidents, members of parliament and ministers would change but the attitude of separation from and enmity with Russia would remain. Reaching peace was the main election slogan of the incumbent president. He came to power with this. The promises turned out to be lies. Nothing has changed. And in some ways the situation in Ukraine and around Donbas has even degenerated.

          In the anti-Russia project, there is no place either for a sovereign Ukraine or for the political forces that are trying to defend its real independence. Those who talk about reconciliation in Ukrainian society, about dialogue, about finding a way out of the current impasse are labelled as ”pro-Russian“ agents.

          Again, for many people in Ukraine, the anti-Russia project is simply unacceptable. And there are millions of such people. But they are not allowed to raise their heads. They have had their legal opportunity to defend their point of view in fact taken away from them. They are intimidated, driven underground. Not only are they persecuted for their convictions, for the spoken word, for the open expression of their position, but they are also killed. Murderers, as a rule, go unpunished.

          Today, the ”right“ patriot of Ukraine is only the one who hates Russia. Moreover, the entire Ukrainian statehood, as we understand it, is proposed to be further built exclusively on this idea. Hate and anger, as world history has repeatedly proved this, are a very shaky foundation for sovereignty, fraught with many serious risks and dire consequences.

          All the subterfuges associated with the anti-Russia project are clear to us. And we will never allow our historical territories and people close to us living there to be used against Russia. And to those who will undertake such an attempt, I would like to say that this way they will destroy their own country.

          The incumbent authorities in Ukraine like to refer to Western experience, seeing it as a model to follow. Just have a look at how Austria and Germany, the USA and Canada live next to each other. Close in ethnic composition, culture, in fact sharing one language, they remain sovereign states with their own interests, with their own foreign policy. But this does not prevent them from the closest integration or allied relations. They have very conditional, transparent borders. And when crossing them the citizens feel at home. They create families, study, work, do business. Incidentally, so do millions of those born in Ukraine who now live in Russia. We see them as our own close people.

          Russia is open to dialogue with Ukraine and ready to discuss the most complex issues. But it is important for us to understand that our partner is defending its national interests but not serving someone else's, and is not a tool in someone else's hands to fight against us.

          We respect the Ukrainian language and traditions. We respect Ukrainians' desire to see their country free, safe and prosperous.

          I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia. Our spiritual, human and civilizational ties formed for centuries and have their origins in the same sources, they have been hardened by common trials, achievements and victories. Our kinship has been transmitted from generation to generation. It is in the hearts and the memory of people living in modern Russia and Ukraine, in the blood ties that unite millions of our families. Together we have always been and will be many times stronger and more successful. For we are one people.

          Today, these words may be perceived by some people with hostility. They can be interpreted in many possible ways. Yet, many people will hear me. And I will say one thing – Russia has never been and will never be ”anti-Ukraine“. And what Ukraine will be – it is up to its citizens to decide.

          http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

          What do you all think?

          1. I don't know if it is still available, but the BBC radio 4 did an excellent series many years ago, explaining how Putin came to power, the things that formed his worldview and why (at that time) he wasn't regarded as a potential dictator but more a potential world statesman.

            I suspect it's been cleansed, because it painted him in a good light.

            Sue E might know where it is

  85. That's me for today. One hour of gar den work achieved. Apparently, it will be warmer during the night than it was mid-afternoon! As that is from the Wet Office – I'll wait and see…. Market tomorrow.

    Have a jolly evening.

    A demain

  86. My husband is going off to the last village protect meeting this evening,
    in protest against the destructive housing development plans for this soon to be lost area of outstanding beauty, some of them including my husband is still fighting it.
    I'm not going, I find it all too upsetting. I'll stay at home and make some hot chocolate ( from scratch ) for when he comes home.

      1. East Anglia, unfortunately invaded by Lib Dem councils and MPs, although our MP is Conservative, it makes no difference .

          1. Conservative, one of the very few good guys, always been a backbencher,
            he worked for Margaret Thatcher when he was a very young man before she retired. I think he’d like to retire but we keep voting him so he stays .

      1. Sometimes, it’s complicated. Our home is in East Anglia but I am looking after a cottage in Dunster and visiting it when possible. My cousin ( the one who lives in Poole ) called me awhile back and said she heard from a distant relative ( on her fathers side ) asking whether she would look after his cottage in Dunster for a period of time as he didn’t want to rent it out.
        She couldn’t do it but suggested me. Mind you Im at home atm and she will have to take some responsibility, she after all is closer. I just haven’t changed the name back atm.

  87. So Prime Ministers Questions today was one of the best for Kemi and Sir Keir, yet, by far, with their popularity ratings staying neutral for once.
    It wasn't on.
    Half term break.

  88. I was just reading about this fellow that got 28 weeks in prison for sending hurty emails to Labour politicians, so then shouldn't all the Lefties that have written hurty things about Trump over the years, not get 28 weeks inside too?

    1. Errr…
      Looking at the ground situation the crash could easily have happened if men had been in charge.

      The women got everyone out, that speaks more about their training than does woke criticism of them all.

    6. So what if it was an all female crew. Every aeroplane crash in history until relatively recently has been at the hands of all male crews.

      1. Quite a few WWII Air Transport Auxiliary pilots were female, and there were several tragic crashes. Some of those female pilots were outstanding aviators. Indeed, there was a recent Telegraph obituary of a French helicopter pilot, Valérie André, who was also a surgeon AND who eventually became a General.

        1. Many of the crashes were due to engine failure or problems with the weather; the aircraft had no radio and the pilots generally were not trained in blind flying techniques.

  91. Allister Heath
    Britain has the worst government at the most dangerous possible time
    Zelensky is not a dictator. But Britain can only offer Ukraine fake outrage and pledges it cannot afford.

    This is a critical moment that calls for heroic leadership, and yet we are saddled with a Cabinet of hypocrites, phoneys and cowards. Donald Trump is pulling the plug on Ukraine, and seemingly attempting to oust Volodymyr Zelensky (who he has wrongly dubbed a “dictator”), but Britain has nothing useful to contribute other than fake outrage, sentimental chest-beating and pledges it cannot afford. Trump appears to be conceding far too much to Russia, and yet we can’t do anything about it. Labour’s sanctimoniousness cannot hide its complicity in Ukraine’s betrayal: our political class is no better than the rest of Europe’s freeloading political elites.

    If Keir Starmer really cared about the security of the West, and the fate of Kyiv, he would tear up his entire agenda. He would announce a rearmament programme à la 1934, and the reconstruction of a homegrown military industrial supply chain. He would go for growth, ditch Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband’s Leftist idiocy, suspend net zero to cut energy costs, slash taxes and deregulate. He would drastically increase the size of the Armed Forces, transform procurement, and embrace AI and modern warfare technology. He would reverse his splurge on the welfare state to pay for vastly more military personnel. He would fix our nuclear deterrent. With US foreign policy now centred around the promotion of free speech, he would cancel Britain’s most illiberal laws and reposition himself as America’s comrade-in-arms. He would stop sucking up to China, and prepare for trade dislocation.

    All of this would allow him to travel to Washington holding his head high, reminding the president that of course Ukraine didn’t start the war, conceding that Trump is right to demand a greater military contribution from European countries and offering grown-up, realistic solutions.

    Alas, the Prime Minister is the wrong man at the wrong time. Starmer is temperamentally and ideologically unfit to stand up for the free world and to lead a historic rearmament of Britain, his judgment impaired by his background as a radical Left-wing human rights lawyer, his instincts invariably wrong or stuck in the 1990s, his understanding of history, economics, geopolitics and the American psyche lamentable.

    No true war-time prime minister would humiliate our long-suffering Armed Forces by doubling down on the persecution of soldiers in Northern Ireland, or focus obsessively on handing the Chagos, host to key military bases, to an ally of China, citing ludicrous “international law” considerations and picking the wrong side in the new struggle of the Great Powers.

    No real war-time leader would choose to prioritise spending more on welfare and his public sector client groups while refusing to allocate more to defence, as if the non-existent peace dividend still existed. No statesman would glibly propose sending peacekeeping troops or typhoons to Ukraine at a time when the British Army is smaller, per capita, than it has been for 300 years, when our military is catastrophically bereft of ships, of planes, of munitions, of drones, tech and money, when generals fear that we could barely cope with the shortest of conflicts.

    The “liberal international order” died for good under Barack Obama, when Bashar al-Assad unleashed his chemical weapons in 2013, Putin invaded the Donbas in 2014 and America signed the Iran deal. The US was no longer in charge and no longer cared. Why did Britain, when all of this was happening even under the Democrats, continue to run down its Armed Forces? The old order had certainly long since expired by 2022, when Putin launched his despicable full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and when Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, under Biden. Trump is merely confirming what anybody with half a brain should have understood.

    America was briefly the world’s hegemon after winning the Cold War, but 9/11 and the Iraq and Afghanistan fiascos, combined with the vertiginous rise of China, put paid to it. We are back to spheres of influences, to Great Powers carving up the world: Trump appears to be a fan of the latter incarnation of the Monroe Doctrine. Tragically, the Atlantic Charter, which committed the UK and US to the principle of self-determination, is forgotten. Just as regrettably, imperialism appears to have returned, as practised by Trump with Denmark and Greenland, Canada and Panama, as well as by China with its belt and road initiative. Trump seems keen on a reprise of Yalta or Potsdam: Ukraine’s fate, like that of Eastern Europe after 1945, will be decided by others.

    America is back to old habits in other ways: it didn’t intervene in the First World War until 1917, and it took Pearl Harbor for it to enter the Second World War in 1941. With or without Trump, we shouldn’t expect it to step into every war in Europe or every conflict in the world any longer. It’s our own fault: Britain and Europe should have volunteered to spend a lot more on defence years ago. Nato, which worryingly now feels on its last legs, was never meant to be a way for Europe to sponge off America.

    Even Trump’s attempt at extracting hundreds of billions of dollars worth of raw materials from Ukraine in compensation for US help isn’t entirely novel, though it is certainly astonishingly blatant. The US has frequently asked for something in return for its assistance, in a transactional way: decolonisation, money, the dollar’s hegemony, access to raw materials. The First and Second Gulf Wars were triggered by America’s perceived self-interest: Kuwait produces oil, and 9/11 had to be avenged.

    America is pivoting to the Pacific: it wants to avoid at all cost Chinese hegemony in the region. It sees Russia as a lesser issue – despite its close alliance with China – that Europe should deal with itself.

    Labour’s foot-dragging about increasing military spending from 2.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent is thus morally idiotic. Poland, a country that is on the front line, intends to spend 4.7 per cent of GDP on defence this year, at the cost of a large deficit. It boasts 200,000 plus soldiers, more than any Nato country other than the US and Turkey. That’s a real commitment. If Poland can do it, why can’t we? Or are ministers not telling the truth when they claim to care about Ukraine? We are truly stuck with the worst possible Labour Government at the most dangerous of times.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/19/britain-has-worst-government-at-the-most-dangerous-time/

    2. When Molotov went for talks in Germany in 1940 after Britain had declared war following AH's invasion of Poland, Hitler (with his fingers crossed) made peace with Russia by making an agreement with Molotov to split Poland two ways for their mutual benefit and their own expansion plans.

  92. I hadn't been out on my own for quite a few weeks until today, when I drove to St Albans and back. The state of the road surfaces is appalling. And every roadside verge has litter on it the shopping area I visited was strewn with litter. Traffic lights and temporary road closures abound. With hardly an obvious indication of any work happening.
    And still most drivers can't read the speed limit signs and drive to close from behind.
    Two grandchildren were lovely and made cakes with nanny. And walked there and back to the library. And came home with chosen books.
    Turning in within the hour, so good night all you Nottlers. 😴😉

    2. Sadly, you're right Eddie. The country is a ruin. This is because far too many people have no stake in it. They just don't care about it because they're not contributing toward it in anyway. It's also full of wasters who have no connection or root here, and they are rewarded for treating this beautiful country as a doss house.

    3. In Bideford at Christmas, noticed exactly the same. England was shabby and dirty, uncared for. Very sad, crisp packets in all verges.

      1. I think he is too pissed off with what they put him thorough to give a tuppenny fuck about irony!

        2. Too true.
          But it's actually setting a very bad precedent, because the Democrats will utilise what he's done and do so far more damagingly.

          The "left" are very skilled at using what the "right" does, against them.
          For example, much of the damage done to private pensions by Brown was off the back of what seemed sensible pension legislation when Lawson introduced it.

          1. If he and his team survive long enough I think they may just have the ability to totally dismantle the inane left wing edifice that occupies so much of the political and social infrastructure of the US especially if JD V is elected to succeed President Trump.

    2. I might be in a minority but I don't care what folk do as long as it only costs those supporting it. If I'm made to pay for something moronic then I resent it.

      This is why I resent 90% of government spending.

      1. It's like the Irishman who wondered why his wellies had R and L on them;
        'Why Paddy it stands for Left and Right so you know which way round to wear them.'
        'Ahh Bejasus that must be why the wife's knickers have C&A on them……'

      2. It's like the Irishman who wondered why his wellies had R and L on them;
        'Why Paddy it stands for Left and Right so you know which way to wear them.'
        'Ahh Bejasus that must be why the wife's knickers have C&A on them……'

  100. Speaking to the Jordan Peterson at the ARC Conference, Farage blamed Reeves’ gloominess for low birth rates:

    “We need higher birth rates, but we’re not going to get higher birth rates in this country until we can get some sense of optimism. We need a complete 180 shift in attitudes…. I mean, God, doesn’t Rachel Reeves make you want to reach for the cry tissues. It’s all so miserable, it’s all so declinist. Frankly, the Conservatives have been no better. We need a change of attitude in Britain.”

    It's not as simple as being nice. We need a sea change of attitude. We need to stop funding wasters and encouraging the dross to breed while hammering the earners with appalling taxes to pay for it.

    Everything stems from that fundamental problem: a bunch of waster kids in school without two parents at home to set an example leads to poor disicpline, which means low academic outcomes for everyone and bad teaching as the teachers are doing more crowd control than work. It leads to high unemployment as a quarter of kids are illiterate and innumerate. Those fools then breed more at the expense of the worker.

    It is Idiocracy:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plDwx6Saly4

      2. No rum, corporal punishment banned, well it only leaves one thing for the poor old matelots.

  105. OMG! Con Coughlin has seen the light!!

    "Rather than helping to propose a solution to the Ukraine crisis, there is a very real danger that Starmer’s ill-considered peacekeeping blueprint could end up making the Ukraine crisis immeasurably worse"

    & Faints!

    1. It would follow the normal pattern of events as far as the political classes go. They eff up everything they come into contact with.

  109. Well, chums, it's my bedtime. So I'll wish you all a Good Night, sleep well, and I'll see you all tomorrow.

  112. Good evening, good peoples. Another day of heavy snow. Now you might be thinking that's not unusual for northern Canada in February. Usually in Feb it's just cold. Really cold. The cold is the result of clear blue sky and sunshine – which doesn't generate snow. But nope, this Feb we've had unusually heavy cloud cover and snow fall. 18" last night. All cleared thanks to a Massey Ferguson with a decent blade despite some brutal windchill.

    On the positive side, I'm looking forward to a decent oven-prepped moose madras curry that should be ready in around 45 minutes – hopefully with some fluffy naan bread. It's like beef, except I prefer it cut into slightly smaller cubes of less than an inch – and don't expect it to sear like beef.

    To the morrow.

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