Early Risers.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

It could be argued that the Voters did that.

As for advantages yet to appear, could that be the fault of the current bosses of The Big House? 🤔

 

 

I'm a believer in "if it ain't busted...."

Out of interest, is it the Engineer saying that parts are scarce?  A common tactic in my experience in order to sell new boilers.  It may be worth phoning the manufacturer and speaking to their spares dept. to ask them what the situation is.

 

I'm also a great believer in system boilers rather than combi boilers - a S.B allows the use of a copper storage tank in an airing cupboard (if you still have one) - which means you can have an immersion heater for those times when the boiler does pack up....

 

(Bear still has a Back Boiler, incidentally)

 

 

I did accidently give you an "Interesting/thought provoking" before realising that I don't know what a boiler is or why you would need one apart from being able to make coffee for a whole lot of people who turned up unexpectedly all at once. 

 

To make up for that, I'm off to Ebay to organise another bike inspection, probably at 1030PM  Tuesday or similar that I won't turn up to.

[Hroth]

11 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

I think the problem is  is that as a member of the EU for Donkeys years, the EU have done all the trade negotiations on your behalf. So your government had been protected from the cold harsh world due to it being part of a trading bloc and have therefore allowed in-house trading skills to disappear.

 

Meanwhile, here in Australia, Canada, NZ, India and so on - we have always had  to make our own way in the world of trading policy, (especially when the UK abandoned the Commonwealth to  join  the Common Market).  As a result, over the intervening   years, we have all  acquired street skills in  trade that no one in the UK government has ever had to face before,  and thus has no answer to. You sent Liz  Truss here  to organise our trade agreement  for instance.  LOL.

 

  So now its the UK government with its hubris that showed up during the Brexit debate "We are the UK, we had a huge  Empire awhile ago  and  everyone will want to trade with us on our terms!"  VS  reality.

 

 

 

The GOVERNMENT sent la Truss, not us!

Seeing what she did to the economy for the few weeks she was in charge, it's not surprising she made a bollox over a "mere" trade agreement...

 

[jjb1970]

The international negotiating thing is interesting as it raises a question I very rarely see in the media or in political debate - why isn't the EU a 'member state' of UN bodies in place of the EU member states?

 

On most UN matters the EC now has competence, which means member states are legally required to follow the EC negotiating position and most of the talking is done by EC delegates.

 

There's nothing wrong with that in principle, but the EU has 27 voting cards despite acting as a single entity. If the EU want to act as a bloc that's fine but in that case the EU should be the member state. If EU member states want to retain their seats in New York etc then they should have freedom to negotiate and vote as their national government sees fit.

 

This isn't just a semantic point or a political point, the parties to the various treaties and conventions are the member states, not the EU. Unfortunately it's had a baleful impact on UN bodies as overuse of bloc-vote manipulation forced others to form blocs. That has always been a part of the real UN in New York, split at a most basic level between developed and developing countries but it has been ratcheted up massively since the EC took over for Europe

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Was down in Poole very early this morning. I wonder if there is an ABC spotters book of lifeboats?

[polybear]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

A good example, it was pointed out frequently that as a member of the EU we could travel anywhere in the EU without passing through border controls but if we left we would have to pass through border controls. This was dismissed as 'fake news' by the supporters of Brexit. We now have to go through border controls. What was put forward as fact has turned out to be fake news. 

 

Insofar as I can remember I can't see any difference between pre and post arrivals at Airports - in all cases I've needed to flash the Passport.

 

Going over the Channel is a tad different, however - and proving to be a right PITA for many.  I'm sure the French are doing all they can to minimise any disruption, however....🤣

 

 

 

[Hroth]

Getting away from semi-politics, lets move over to the ghastly Summer-Of-Sport we're beginning to endure....

 

The start of the Euro Foot-The-Ball competition has resulted in the inept youth next door kicking a football* around his back garden and eventually into mine.  I have come to dread the dull thud of foot against ball, and the next time one sails over the fence, I may well "accidentally" puncture the bluddy thing with a garden fork...

 

At least I don't expect any copycatting for Wimbers or for the 'lympics**.

 

* I know we're supposed to encourage the mindless louts to get out and enjoy the fresh air, but I'd rather they spend time indoors playing GTA on their consoles, then try out their skills on someone's car.  At least they may be awarded some time at HMs Displeasure...

** I can see July and August being poor months for television viewing!

 

[4630]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

The international negotiating thing is interesting as it raises a question I very rarely see in the media or in political debate - why isn't the EU a 'member state' of UN bodies in place of the EU member states?

As far as the UN is concerned, I’ve long been of the view that the UK and France’s position as permanent members of the Security Council is incompatible with ‘the world order’ in the 21st Century.

 

Whilst it may have had some merit in the years immediately following WW2 as a sense of order generally became re-established across the globe, in more recent years I think the position has become an anachronism and increasingly unrepresentative of how the world order has developed. 

 

My feeling is that both the UK and France should, jointly, have negotiated an amendment to the Charter establishing the UN’s existence that their permanent seats on the Security Council should cease and be replaced by;

 

* an EU seat (occupied by whoever’s turn it is to hold the revolving chair of the European Council - the body that determines the political direction and priorities of the European Union. 

 

* a seat occupied by a revolving representative of, broadly, one of the Pacific Rim countries where they are not already represented on the UN Security Council.  

[jjb1970]

One of the problems with most of the big global institutions is they represent a world of 40 years ago. The balance of economic and geopolitical power has shifted and those countries once called developing or which are still developing know it and want the shift to be reflected in the UN. 

[jjb1970]

That said it's hard to say how much simpler and nicer feeling it is to be in a city state which has no delusions of grandeur or ambitions to be top cat in global affairs (or favoured enforcer and lackey of top cat). The government is concerned about its own people and running their own country while trying to keep on good terms with everyone. So much nicer than the geopolitical games of big countries. 

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

teresting, I don’t have Disney+ nor do I want it. Especially after online YouTube reviewers like Nerdrotic (US) and The Critical Drinker (Scottish it would seem) post scathing and provocative reviews about how Disney+ has ruined the Star Wars, Dr Who and Marvel franchises.

 

You may disagree with a lot (if not all) of what they say, but one thing they point out is the huge gap between “the Critics” and The Audience” in rating these films and

 

 

I would like to apologise sincerely to anyone who thinks that based on my recent posts about trade deals and flavoured milk, that we in Australia wish you in the UK poor economic outcomes and an early death - far from it.

 

The Australia-UK humourous  rivalry is one of the few remaining good-natured global bantering traditions  that has slipped under the radar of  those who want to claim faux outrage at every light hearted joke aimed at someone else.

 

 

  Now obviously in life style and all round prowess Australia has the upper hand due to us not spending ages on social media and RMWeb  going on about how our breakfast sausage should be cooked  and if baked beans are a thing and where is the best black pudding from etc and therefore as a result  we have more time to spend  in the practice nets in order to perfect  our off-breaks in order to embarrass you on the international sporting arena, but even us winning all the time because of that  is meant in strictly good humour. 

 

 

It was not always so one sided, I remember being in the city (Sydney) in 2003 when the Rugby World Cup was being held here . I had no idea that it was on (Rugby isn't a thing here, go to NZ for that)  but I have to say I  was amazed by the number of round bald blokes in red jumpers singing Wonderwall etc. I think you beat us then, that understanding is  based purely on every Brit still  reminding us of it 21 years later. ("Jonny Wilkinson! Did you see his kick!" etc) 

 

Still,  despite that we have stayed loyal, a loyalty that goes back over 100 years.   In 1916  and again in 1939  Australia answered  Britain's call and we sent our best young men over there to fight in a war that we had nothing to do with. 

 

 

 

That ANZAC spirit shines through to this day. Take the current T20 World Series Cricket competition. Australia and England share the same group. 

 

Now,  Australia,  thanks  to our outdoorsy lifestyle and not eating 20kg of fried stuff in Witherspoons or wherever every morning are top of the group and we are guaranteed a place in the super 16s.

 

England is 3rd and at risk of being embarrassingly eliminated from the comp - (whereas  the USA has made it through to the next round  despite it not even inventing the game)  - unless Australia LOST to Scotland today.

 

Now, it would have been in Australia's interest to throw the match and have Scotland in the next round rather than England.

 

So did we?

 

We did not.

 

We made sure that you did not get embarrassed by being kicked out of a comp in the game you invented , while the USA who have no cricket heritage  went on to the next round 

 

 

WE expect no thanks but we are happy just knowing that once again we came to Englands aid in her darkest hour.

 

 

Now,  why is this post tagged to one from @iL Dottoreabout Dr Who?

 

I think that is where I planned to start this, a post  about how our national broadcaster the ABC had British kids shows at 6PMon weekdays, in the timeslot before the national   7PM news 

So it was Dr Who (  the Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker years), The Goodies. Catweazle and Nanny And the Professor ,  along with occasional strange stuff like Children Of The Stones on an endless loop ,. All of which helped to  shape  our opinion of what the UK was like, which was - pretty weird!.

 

In comparison we had Skippy, because having a kangaroo that solves crime and helps kiddies in danger is perfectly normal compared to a time travelling bloke in a phone box.   Every boy my age was in love with Clancy,  with her posh British accent.

 

 

I think she moved to the UK to be   near @TheQ. 

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

Bear here….

 

Hilly wander mode - for the first time in, er, yonks.  I’ve not decided if it’s a single or double killer hill flavour.

On the way down The Big Hill I passed a guy going the other way whilst clutching a can of whatever rot gut he’d been swiggin’ all day; he mumbled something about wishing he was going down the hill and not up it.  I did think he’d done well to string a sentence together - the fact that he was multi tasking and walking at the same time must be one of life’s evolutionary miracles…..

 

Right, time to carry on with the pit stop….

 

BG

[Coombe Barton]

22 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Clancy

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

 

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

The start of the Euro Foot-The-Ball competition has resulted in the inept youth next door kicking a football* around his back garden and eventually into mine. 

 

 

Not that I'm anti-soccer which is obviously a brilliant exciting  game  even though you cant use your hands so its like the sports version of  that Riverdance Irish dancing craze of a few years ago compared to every other football code.

But if you were a rugby league, a rugby union, an NFL or  an AFL country instead of one who's national game had to come up with the Penalty Shootout in order to decide pretty much every final game of the  "Worlds Biggest"  international sporting competition , then apart from being much happier knowing that your national game is not controlled by  a cabal of corrupt shadowy overseas entities  who dictate the rules and decide  which country no matter how unsuitable or lacking in human rights  shall hold that  international competition based on who can bribe them the most, you would also have a quieter life because all those other codes require you to practice kicking the ball through a set of posts that are a Long Way Away, so the inept youth will have to do it down the local footy oval or whatever its called there , rather than against your fence.

Edited June 16 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

My (cynical) view is that book burning – and it’s modern cousin, the promotion of soshul meeja over reading

The modern cousin of book burning is old-fashioned book banning - quite en vogue in many parts of the US at the moment. There is at least one state where librarians can be found guilty of a felony if they place *certain* books on the shelf.

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

The GOVERNMENT sent la Truss, not us!

Seeing what she did to the economy for the few weeks she was in charge, it's not surprising she made a bollox over a "mere" trade agreement...

 

https://greatestbritons.com/top-10-worst-prime-ministers

[monkeysarefun]

6 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Something which is always thought provoking is to read media articles and political statements about a story you are familiar with. I regularly see articles and statements concerning work related matters and ask myself the question - if these people are so clueless on this story are they any more informed about anything else?

 

 

 

I've read complete lies in the press here, and I know they are lying because I have personal knowledge of what's going on on at least 2 occasions. 

 

But the thing is,  in the cases I've experienced I have no idea why they are lying, it just makes no sense other than to alert me that if they lie in these stories then they are obviously lying in pretty much every other one. 

 

The two that come to mind are:

 

A report in the Sunday Telegraph (a Murdoch paper) Real Estate section  about how the Victoria Barracks site in Paddington, Sydney had been successfully transformed from a military base into a luxury lifestyle resort, the heritage buildings had been remodelled as desirable apartments and the grounds had been remodelled to provide tennis courts, swimming pools and so on.

 

What made me suspicious of these claims was that my work role at the time meant that I divided my time between Maritime HQ at Potts Point, and Land Headquarters at Paddington Barracks  and every time I walked through the front  gate I  saw the heritage buildings - the officers accommodation, the main quadrangle, the parade ground and so on, completely as it had been since the 1800's when the barracks was established. It was all owned and run by  the Australian Army and there was no sign of a successful resort remodelling,so  the news report was a ridiculous fabrication.

 

The thing is, I still have no idea why or to what aim  the Daily telegraph printed that article since it was a complete fantasy. For instance they couldn't use it as a puff piece to sell apartments etc since they didn't exist. Anyway, here is the rear of the barrack in question. Still  chock full full of the Australian Army -  sorry,  real estate developers.

 

 

 

My other example was also the Sunday Telegraph. At the time post 9/11 the RAAF was helping support the USAF in bombing raids into one of the Stans in central Asia. We deployed some F-18's to Diego Garcia, the intention being that they would support whatever the USAF were doing. However it turned out that the droge .that supplied the USAF F-18s with air to air refuelling didn't work with our F18s so we were grounded for the whole operation.

 

That didn't stop the Daily Telegraph from posting a completely fabricated story about how our fighters were daily bombing the insurgents, they even had  quotes from a Wing Commander based at Raaf Richmond, who didn't even exist., and its not like the RAAF were doing the governments work because the RAAF denied everything that was in the report. 

 

 

Trust absolutely nothing the papers say, specially the Murdoch ones!

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

What is more galling is that those who make such pronouncements tend to be smugly superior - considering themselves to be morally better.

I'm not sure that the smugness is new. The tone is new. (Perhaps better put, the tone-deafness is new.)

 

While this is before my time in the US, I'm specifically thinking of the debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. The distinction from today is that both were erudite, intellectual and articulate. But they absolutely had an air of smug superiority.

 

I don't know if it will play for you but there's a snippet here from 1968 during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where protesters raised the flag of the Viet Cong in Grant Park. (Vidal called Buckley a "crypto-Nazi".)

 

I would happily return to a place where possessing higher education is not labelled as "elitism" but the smugness isn't new.  There were plenty of examples I remember from Australian politics in the 1970s.

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Things are getting better now but this morning I couldn't stop peeing, bladder control must have been having a laugh with my having to rush to the loo every five minutes. It's settled down now though I haven't drunk any extra liquids and I very rarely drink alcohol.

[DaveF]

Over the years I've seen a lot of newspaper articles about things which I saw or was somehow involved in.  Every one has had "errors", ranging from wrong names to "it didn't happen at all like that".

 

I recently came across a newspaper cutting about Mum's retirement back in 1984.

They said she was the President of her Union - she wasn't. she was branch president and had turned down the National President role when she was asked to take it.

It had the years she had worked at various schools wrong.

It had the name of one of the schools wrong.

In fact the only two correct things were that she was retiring and moving to the north east.

 

I believe very little of what I see in print and even less of things published on the web.

 

David

Edited June 16 by DaveF

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

As I see it, most of modern politics consists of US and THEM.

 

And then there is the “THEM”, i.e. everyone else….

It always has. The difference today, was that in the past each party wanted to have more people in the "US" column and encouraged people from the "THEM" column (or at least the middle) to join them.

 

Today they use the demarcation line between "US" and "THEM" to motivate* people in the "US" column, by hyperbolically exaggerated fear of "THEM" and try to arrange the system (gerrymander**, voter ID etc) to make sure that the voters in the "THEM" column can't win at the polls.

 

* enrage, inflame, radicalize, etc (identity politics)

 

** This one is of course old hat, but data science and computing makes it much more surgical.

[4630]

26 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

https://greatestbritons.com/top-10-worst-prime-ministers

That’s an interesting compilation. 
 

Whilst any list of this type by its very nature is likely to be subjective, reinforced by and reflect the prejudices of whom ever did the compilation and their criteria for inclusion or otherwise, poor old James Callaghan at No 4, is IMHO a touch harsh.

 

He took over a ‘bad hand’ and probably couldn’t have played it a whole lot better.  The country was ready for change and after he lost the General Election on 4th May 1979, boy did it get it.  
 

I wonder when the list was compiled?  Obviously after October 2022.  But I wonder if an update might be in the offing?
 

 

Edited June 16 by 4630

[DaveF]

Church went quite well, the Bishop was his usual pleasant self and preached a good sermon.

 

Back home I had my usual coffee and finished the e mails/letters.  Then I had a fairly light lunch and sat down with a magazine.  I was tired as I didn't sleep well last night so had a lie down and doze.

 

I sorted out a batch of photos of mother's side of the family, they need a final check and a covering letter then they can be posted to a cousin.  The other side of the family is a bit more complicated as there are a lot more photos.

 

I was going to do some light gardening but it has rained on and off all afternoon.  I did take in a parcel for a neighbour, it was scheduled to arrive 3.45 - 6.45 p.m.  It came at 1.15p.m. just as I finished lunch.

 

I'm not sure if I can be bothered to watch the football tonight, an old Midsomer Murders sounds rather more appealing.

 

David

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Was down in Poole very early this morning. I wonder if there is an ABC spotters book of lifeboats?

 

They're a pair of Trent class 25kt all weather boats.

 

According to the Wikipedia entry for the Trent class, they're currently in the training fleet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent-class_lifeboat

 

Here's the RNLI lifeboat spotters page

https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet

 

 

Edited June 16 by Hroth
Update on the two Trents in the photo. And spelin...

[iL Dottore]

Lying Newspapers - untrue, incorrect or outright fabricated.

 

Why?

 

I give you the choice of three possible reasons

1. mendacity
2. being “économe avec la vérité” in order to adhere to the newspapers political position
3. incompetence and laziness (basically < can’t be ***** to fact check ! )

I suspect all three.

 

p.s. My friend and my sponsor for my membership to a London club, once spent a day being shadowed in his then job (social work in the East End) by a well known journalist and columnist who works - and still works - for a renowned newspaper famous for its fine grasp of spelling. My friend said that the resulting newspaper article bore absolutely NO resemblance to what happened at work that day.

 

His already low opinion of both journalist and newspaper plumbed new depths….

[jjb1970]

I am in Bangkok, on my way to Copenhagen. Enjoying the good seats in a long haul configured 777-300ER for a two hour flight is probably a bit unnecessary but undeniably a very nice way to do it. I like Thai, very good flight service, the attendants always seem properly nice and very helpful.