steve
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Post by steve on Aug 21, 2022 14:54:29 GMT
Spaffer hard at work last week. Cost of living crisis . Who gives a toss!
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Post by leftieliberal on Aug 21, 2022 14:54:49 GMT
West Ham 1-0 down to Brighton at home after half-an-hour and only ahead of ManUre at the bottom of the table on goal difference. At this rate, by next season, David Cameron will have no trouble remembering which team in claret and blue he supports. Oh -damn, looks like I will have to deal with three very un-happy people when they get back!West Ham now bottom on goals scored*. *For clarification, where two teams are equal on points and goal difference, the team having scored more goals is placed higher. West Ham have now failed to score in any of their first three games.
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Post by lululemonmustdobetter on Aug 21, 2022 15:19:27 GMT
Oh -damn, looks like I will have to deal with three very un-happy people when they get back! West Ham now bottom on goals scored*. *For clarification, where two teams are equal on points and goal difference, the team having scored more goals is placed higher. West Ham have now failed to score in any of their first three games. Bloody kickieball! Here I was enjoying the house to myself - catching up on re-runs of to TOTP from '93, which brings back memories of when I was doing my A-Levels, copying the the Ace of Base dancing with my best friend in our living room on a break from revising. Now I have three manically depressed males on the way home!
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 21, 2022 15:22:00 GMT
View AttachmentSpaffer hard at work last week. Cost of living crisis . Who gives a toss! Let's leave aside what it says about Johnson's shamelessness for now, but who on earth is advising him in the dog days of his premiership? Surely someone with half a broken political antenna might have whispered in his ear, "Look, Prime Minister, whatever you do on this holiday, don't get photographed whooping it up. Things aren't going well at home and I don't think people will appreciate seeing their PM gallivanting in the sun while some of them can't even afford to feed their kids, let alone take them on holiday. So, don't pose for photos or selfies and make sure you steer clear of public spaces." Or words to that effect. Of course, it's possible that one of his team has said this to him but he's wilfully ignored the advice. In which case he really is taking the piss. Flicking a V Sign at the people who put him into this position of enormous power and privilege.
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Post by crossbat11 on Aug 21, 2022 15:25:16 GMT
Lulu the lemon
If you've got a cat, hide it quick.
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c-a-r-f-r-e-w
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A step on the way toward the demise of the liberal elite? Or just a blip…
Posts: 6,190
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Post by c-a-r-f-r-e-w on Aug 21, 2022 16:08:09 GMT
Universities push for ‘vital’ tuition fee rise
“UK students must pay closer to £24,000 a year or lose their places to foreigners, argue bosses
A record one in five young undergraduates starting at top universities this autumn are from overseas, according to official figures, up 7 per cent in a year. The number of British undergraduates has declined by 13 per cent.
School pupils received their A-level results last week, triggering a battle for higher education places and vice-chancellors have been urged to take on more domestic applicants to ease the pressure.
However, Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor at the University of Sunderland and a former permanent secretary at the Department for Education, said: “You cannot expect to run universities on a fee level of £9,250 a year, which by 2025 will be worth around £6,000 in real terms because of inflation.‘
Times
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2022 16:33:29 GMT
I see Cameron’s favourite team is playing themselves next weekend. Should be interesting.
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Post by alec on Aug 21, 2022 17:30:50 GMT
steve - on holiday, so not really engaging, but sorry - I got 13.
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steve
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Posts: 12,264
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Post by steve on Aug 21, 2022 17:36:06 GMT
alec The shame of it you missed one!
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pjw1961
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Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Posts: 8,397
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Post by pjw1961 on Aug 21, 2022 18:16:31 GMT
alec The shame of it you missed one! For the record I got 4, 3 of which were just lucky guesses. It's not surprising really as lockdown had almost no effect on me and I never really noticed it other than how great the early part was where there was zero traffic on the roads. I was getting to work in half the time I normally take. That was the advantage of working in a hospital and counting as an essential worker. I've written up a lengthy note on my experiences of working in an acute hospital during wave 1. A lot of weird stuff happened. If nothing else, the story of the great Easter egg mountain should be told, so perhaps I'll publish it on the Covid thread some time if people are interested.
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Post by Mark on Aug 21, 2022 19:16:43 GMT
Here I was enjoying the house to myself - catching up on re-runs of to TOTP from '93, which brings back memories of when I was doing my A-Levels..... I didn't know they'd started up re-runs of TOTP again.....thanks for the heads-up, lululemonmustdobetter! Such a good year for music...the charts were starting to get good again and there was so much just bubbling under, with both Pulp and Chumbawamba on the cusp of being bona-fide pop stars, along with StereoLab, Tindersticks, The Breeders and more who sadly didn't quite get that far... Feminism was on the alt-pop agenda with Huggy Bear, Heavenly (with their 'Punk Girl/Atta Girl' double-single) and others....and indeed a marked rise in women in bands.... The aforementioned Chumbas teaming up with Credit To The Nation to produce what, for me, was single of the year (and should have been a top ten smash!)(Linked below)....and the Tories on the ropes, soon(ish) to be gone....such a good time to be alive... www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0Rf-N_FVE
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Post by catfuzz on Aug 21, 2022 19:20:34 GMT
Bit late for this one as I’m currently at a Slovenian wedding (which is insanely picturesque, and some lovely wine by-the-by) but the idea of getting GPs to prescribe money off vouchers for energy like an Dickensian Groupon offer is literally mental!
Not only can I foresee the discounts won’t touch the sides for those who need it, but surely this is going to make the waiting times for GPs increase as everyone proceeds to try their luck at getting a utilities discount from a medical practitioner.
How the hell did we get to the point where this is considered reasonable?
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Post by Old Southendian on Aug 21, 2022 20:03:22 GMT
Let's leave aside what it says about Johnson's shamelessness for now, but who on earth is advising him in the dog days of his premiership? Surely someone with half a broken political antenna might have whispered in his ear, "Look, Prime Minister, whatever you do on this holiday, don't get photographed whooping it up. Things aren't going well at home and I don't think people will appreciate seeing their PM gallivanting in the sun while some of them can't even afford to feed their kids, let alone take them on holiday. So, don't pose for photos or selfies and make sure you steer clear of public spaces."
It's true that people need holidays, PMs the same as others. And I guess MPs are meant to be in attendance during sessions of parliament. But would it have been justified to take a holiday in September when he is 'just' an MP, rather than August when he's still supposedly running the country? Personally, I'd always prefer to holiday in September not August if possible, places are less crowded, prices are cheaper, all together far more relaxing. I think taking a low key holiday in September when people are going to be concentrating on the Truss-Meister might have been wise, but maybe that's not allowed.
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Post by guymonde on Aug 21, 2022 21:02:11 GMT
Bit late for this one as I’m currently at a Slovenian wedding (which is insanely picturesque, and some lovely wine by-the-by) but the idea of getting GPs to prescribe money off vouchers for energy like an Dickensian Groupon offer is literally mental! Not only can I foresee the discounts won’t touch the sides for those who need it, but surely this is going to make the waiting times for GPs increase as everyone proceeds to try their luck at getting a utilities discount from a medical practitioner. How the hell did we get to the point where this is considered reasonable? I made a joke about this yesterday because I assumed it was too mad even for this lot. "Dr David Wrigley, BMA England GP committee deputy chair, said it “beggars belief that government ministers think it is appropriate to suggest GPs undertake this work”" Quite.
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Post by mercian on Aug 21, 2022 21:12:02 GMT
Bit late for this one as I’m currently at a Slovenian wedding (which is insanely picturesque, and some lovely wine by-the-by) but the idea of getting GPs to prescribe money off vouchers for energy like an Dickensian Groupon offer is literally mental! Not only can I foresee the discounts won’t touch the sides for those who need it, but surely this is going to make the waiting times for GPs increase as everyone proceeds to try their luck at getting a utilities discount from a medical practitioner. How the hell did we get to the point where this is considered reasonable? I made a joke about this yesterday because I assumed it was too mad even for this lot. "Dr David Wrigley, BMA England GP committee deputy chair, said it “beggars belief that government ministers think it is appropriate to suggest GPs undertake this work”" Quite. One things for sure, they'd charge an arm and a leg for it. When I was in the NHS every time some task came round that had to be done (such as annual flu jabs) there had to be a round of negotiations with the GPs to arrange the going rate. I seem to remember that about 10 years ago it was about £25 a shot on top of their usual payments of course. Before I left they'd put the GPs in charge of the Trusts which commissioned services from local hospitals and GPs. Talk about putting the fox in charge of the chicken shed!
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Post by mercian on Aug 21, 2022 21:14:02 GMT
Oh and by the way, can anyone advise? Now that our household is in fuel poverty I believe I'm allowed to steal stuff. Have I got that right, or have I misunderstood something? 😁
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Dave
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... I'm dreaming dreams, I'm scheming schemes, I'm building castles high ..
Posts: 818
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Post by Dave on Aug 21, 2022 21:31:33 GMT
The aforementioned Chumbas teaming up with Credit To The Nation to produce what, for me, was single of the year (and should have been a top ten smash!)(Linked below)....and the Tories on the ropes, soon(ish) to be gone....such a good time to be alive... www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0Rf-N_FVEI remember the boyfriend of a mate at work, nailing it when he said “we are blessed to be alive” as brilliant band after band after band emerged in that period. Those days felt like they’d never end and you genuinely KNEW the Tories were going to get kicked out in ‘97. Nearly 30’years ago? Ridiculous. Haven’t heard ‘Enough is enough’ for years. Still sounds fresh and relevant. Thanks for posting.
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Dave
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... I'm dreaming dreams, I'm scheming schemes, I'm building castles high ..
Posts: 818
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Post by Dave on Aug 21, 2022 21:33:07 GMT
I need to work out how to do this quoting thing. Apologies.
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Post by hireton on Aug 21, 2022 21:33:42 GMT
More results from the Lucid Talk NI poll. Not clear whether it is Westminster or NI Assembly VI but presumably Assembly VI as changeszare from the Assembly elections.
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Post by hireton on Aug 21, 2022 21:43:48 GMT
Sunday Times thread on results of focus groups and polling on the Tory leadership contest:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2022 21:52:07 GMT
Oh and by the way, can anyone advise? Now that our household is in fuel poverty I believe I'm allowed to steal stuff. Have I got that right, or have I misunderstood something? 😁 Weirder than normal.
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Post by mercian on Aug 21, 2022 22:11:40 GMT
I like to take a long-term view of things. On the potential break-up of the UK. Despite the EU's efforts at becoming a new Holy Roman Empire the last 30 years or so seem to shown a trend of nations and empires breaking-up. e.g. USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, devolution in UK, rumours of some US states at least thinking about breaking away and so on. Prior to that of course most of the great European empires disappeared after the second world war. Are we moving back to mediaeval times where there were many small countries all competing with each other? At least at the moment we have supra-national entities which hold things together to some extent - e.g. UN, NATO and 😖 even the EU. I wonder how long they'll last, and if they weaken are we in for a period (possibly centuries) of global political chaos exacerbated by climate change etc. I'd be interested in any views, particularly optimistic ones! 🙂
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Post by eor on Aug 21, 2022 22:25:44 GMT
eor I'm not convinced a massive screeching u-turn immediately on taking office confirming the opposition were right(as with the windfall tax) will be a game changer. And Truss will need to explain to her party supporters why she misled them. I tend to agree. I suppose it depends whether the legendary tipping point in public opinion has occurred whereby incumbents get little credit whatever they do. Brown got there in 2009/10 when Labour had exhausted their political capital and his good work in staving off the ravages of the financial crash earned him and his government little credit. We need more evidence to judge whether this Tory Government has reached that point of political no-return yet, but I'm seeing straws in the wind that suggest that they might just be heading there. crossbat11 - yes I agree with that. hireton - on your more specific point, I suspect it depends how Truss does it. If she reverses on the tax cuts stuff, I think that would be fatal in terms of Tory turnout. If she goes ahead with the tax cuts, borrows the extra money for energy measures and gets a decent polling boost for the appearing to deal with the immediate crisis, then I suspect the membership will be a lot more forgiving. And outside the membership, the number of people with any flexibility in their GE VI who are paying attention to what is said at membership hustings etc, compared to the number that will notice a substantive (or apparently substantive as noted upthread!) impact on energy costs is probably pretty tiny. Of course, there are other possibilities too, including that Truss would become PM and then actually not do anything significant to prevent economic contagion, in which case I think we'd only be left talking about how much Labour will win by.
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oldnat
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Extremist - Undermining the UK state and its institutions
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Post by oldnat on Aug 21, 2022 22:54:39 GMT
NI polldrums.
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Post by eor on Aug 21, 2022 22:59:16 GMT
On the subject of any boost/honeymoon for the new PM, the absence of substantive policy from the government on energy/cost-of-living, and the sudden surge towards Labour being suggested by two of the three recent polls... perhaps I'm being overly cynical but isn't it quite plausible these are all different sides of the same thing? The news is full of coverage about how eye-wateringly expensive energy bills are going to get, even given how much they've already gone up (two 40-50% increases in a less than a year for my parents; a house move and two supplier changes make it beyond ken for this poster personally). Labour say "we'd stop it happening" and their support goes up. As (I think) alec said, it's looking increasingly like this is going to need some kind of Furlough2 to enable the crisis to be weathered without a lot of otherwise viable businesses being crushed and all the economic dominoes of unemployment, mortgage defaults and so on. But for Truss or Sunak, talking about this right now has only downside in their leadership election, even if they know it's what they'll have to do if they become PM. Whereas one of them *will* become PM, and if they do something substantive to make this situation less awful, why wouldn't they get a pretty good boost from that? If Starmer can get one by saying he'd help if only he could, the new PM ought to do a bit better from actually doing it surely? All very true but its on their watch (Tories). Are voters willing to forgive? That's not even going into the fact Covid hasn't gone away and winter is coming(the NHS is struggling to cope now, winter?), the brexit shambles keeps rolling on and they said it would all be easy, their right-wing stupefying attempts at destroying democracy, and maybe people just having enough of their MPs who many come across as unempathetic idiots. Though in the Tories favour will be their client presses attempts at destroying Labour as we near an election. And no doubt the lies will be big. pete oh, if I were asked for directions by the Tories then it'd definitely be a "Well, I wouldn't start from here..." situation. I was just saying why I think the current VI movement makes sense - Labour getting a boost for a big policy on an extremely salient issue, the Tories getting no polling traction for either new leader, but it not meaning said new leader wouldn't get at least a comparable boost if they were to enact a similar kind of policy on this after they win. Tho as others have pointed out, that could bring problems of its own for them internally.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2022 23:13:29 GMT
I'd be interested in any views, particularly optimistic ones! 🙂 I’m confident that Arsenal will emulate the Invincibles, win the title and remain undefeated all season. ⚽️
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Post by eor on Aug 21, 2022 23:28:19 GMT
hireton Fptp strikes again with the only party having representation commensurate with their vote share unusually for them being the Lib dems. steve - it's interesting how that calculation moves around as fortunes fluctuate. In recent decades I think the closest the Tories have got to parity at a UK level was 2005, having been under-represented in 1997 and 2001 and over-represented the rest of the time. Whereas curiously Labour got an almost perfectly proportionate result in both 2017 and 2019 (having being over-represented the rest of the time, including 1983). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election#Full_results and similar ( graham and any others liking the longer view - I only considered the last 50 years or so; I can well believe had I gone back to the 1950s things would be different, given how high the combined Tory/Lab vote share was and the tendency for a lot of straight-fight constituencies).
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Post by eor on Aug 21, 2022 23:29:37 GMT
I'd be interested in any views, particularly optimistic ones! 🙂 I’m confident that Arsenal will emulate the Invincibles, win the title and remain undefeated all season. ⚽️ You're only one away from jimjam's rule of needing 4 in a row to believe it...
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alurqa
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Freiburg im Breisgau's flag
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Post by alurqa on Aug 22, 2022 0:04:34 GMT
I need to work out how to do this quoting thing. Apologies. I posted this advice previously: Could you learn how to post outside the quotation box ? Otherwise it is hard to distinguish between the quote and the response. Anyone here would be willing to help you , i am sure , ( including me ) See below: Click on the BBCode tab at the bottom of the editor, then type after the last [ /quote] tag. I always use the BBCode tab as that way you can see what you are doing (and the wysiwyg editor has too many bugs, especially if you want to use square brackets...). Edit: the image below shows colin 's text in green, robbiealive 's text in red, and my text in blue. I've made bold the quote tags, so you can see how the text is constructed. This text gives you the output above. Because robbiealive 's text is within colin 's quotes, it shows up as text colin has typed. Hope that helps. :-)
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Post by RAF on Aug 22, 2022 0:15:24 GMT
West Ham now bottom on goals scored*. *For clarification, where two teams are equal on points and goal difference, the team having scored more goals is placed higher. West Ham have now failed to score in any of their first three games. Bloody kickieball! Here I was enjoying the house to myself - catching up on re-runs of to TOTP from '93, which brings back memories of when I was doing my A-Levels, copying the the Ace of Base dancing with my best friend in our living room on a break from revising. Now I have three manically depressed males on the way home!Ha! That makes us about the same age. You must be refering to "All That She Wants". Although, it could be "The Sign"?
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