Posts

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TARIFFS

So the rapist idiot in charge of the USA is imposing his beloved tariffs again – despite most being illegal, this time he cites forced labour as a reason. So says the man who oversees a system whereby many in their 70’s and 80’s are forced to work due to medical bills. We know the war with Iran is not going well – oil price above $100 a barrel again, and what is happening regarding the Epstein files (or is the Judicial System in the states as corrupt as its President).

Meanwhile Andy Burnham has moved swiftly; VAT on fuel bills cut, state pensions protected from tax; prisoner release protocol reviewed; 20% cut in business rates for pubs and clubs, etc. OK so all fairly minor, but a step in the right direction. And all in a few days – and a new No.10 opened in Manchester – we wait to see the impact of this.

Meanwhile Wales has reported the driest July on record (200 years), Wildfires have caused the evacuation of thousands in France – including many tourists. All worryingly important, especially as the MSM reports that Burnham is keen to drill in the N.Sea. a recognition that the impact on oil prices would be non-existent, that any income would be offset by grants, and an acknowledgement that climate change is man made and occuring now would seem to be crucial to any story published – but no – they report the heat wave, and even deaths, without a mention of climate change! Latest wildfires are reported as probably caused by disposable bbq’s – I thought they had stopped selling them due to the cost of morons – an IQ test before purchase would seem to be essential. Why are some people such dirty slobs. ; there is a parking space for 5/6 cars outside my village shop. It has 2 large litter bins. It sells hot food with sachets of sauce. Why do the lazy fuckers just chuck the empty sachets out of their car windows. Shitbags!

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GET SMART

Typical furore over early release prison sentences. The RWPress are wetting themselves trying to humiliate Burnham. I would point out that it takes 7 years to build a prison – who was in power for the first 5 years of the last 7? Dumbass stupidity to complain about it now. And then has the crime rate increased with austerity (under the Tories). Letting prioners out early has long been a policy followed by successive governments. Re-offending rates are much too high, over half of all inmates have learning difficulties. None of my comments will take away the very real trauma of victims of crime. Over 10% are foreign nationals – deport them once they have served a commensurate amount of time for their offences. Prison should be a punishment, but is it commensurate with the offence – a retired lady holding up a poster saying “I support Palestinian Action, stop the genocide” has not commited an act of terrorism (what ever the law says) and should not be taking up space intended for real criminals. Also many people are convicted of offences induced by circumstance – surely in the 21st century we can develop a form of tagging to keep offenders away from vulnerable spots. Society also needs to highlight the cost of crimes like shoplifting; can shops have alarms that are activated when a convicted shoplifter enters, or attempts to enter. Domestic violence and violence towards women needs careful examination of how to counter – the internet needs and demands some governmental control. Perhsps we should follow the Dutch example where prison spaces are not filled!

Climate change – France estimates that 5700 people died due to the heat wave in June. 9 million tonnes of grain crops have been lost due to the heatwave in Western Europe worth £1.7 billion – this will have an impact on food prices. Trump’s war with Iran is escalating again, oil prices are up at the pumps in the UK, going past £1.50 a litre for petrol. The guy is a fucking maniac – his latest is to help Saudi Arabia develop nuclear weapons – how can that make the world a safer place? Could Trump be rehabilitated? Unlikely – he is too rich and emboldened by his wealth and power!

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MOANING

My turn, I put the radio on, only to hear people complaining abut the poor bus service and how unfair it was. They have to be fucking joking, Firstly most areas with poor bus services are rich areas with high car ownership and with a low rental population – so people chose to live there despite the poor bus service (or I could go further and suggest it is beacuase of the low non-car ownership that attracts people). Often there is a regular bus service, just not one they can summon at will. With capitalism it is all about demand and supply – fewer cars on the roads should mean cleaner air, less noise and fewer accidents. With a nationalised bus service it would also mean higher income and less subsidy. With the cost of a car being between £4 and 5 grand per year without parking charges, a saving of £2000 per year would go a long way to decreasing the so called ‘cost of living crisis’. So that’s it for my moan about moaning.

£16666 per term is the cost of sending a child (boy) to Eton College. I would suggest a new council tax base it on a revised net worth housing assessment with the average cost being the same, but the introduction of higher bands at £200000 for each one and an increase of 10% per band. The rich fuckers can afford it! They could sell up and leave the country – good riddance. But I would also increase, impose a tax on private air flights, maybe through aviation fuel, so it they decide to come and go it costs them! Local authorities ould fund schools better, and care homes. 24% of Burnhams new cabinet attended private schools, compared to 8% under Starmer; I have no quibble about the number who went to Oxbridge being 55%, up from 38% they are supposed to be the best Universities in the country, and score well internationally. I am not against private education per se, maybe I am! but I hate the privilege that goes along with their £16.666 per term. Many schools are close to competing on results, despite the disparity in class sizes, where the divergence occurs is in the displays of arrogance/confidence and ability to project themselves. Sorry Maz!

And a me me me moment. I have maybe 100 plants in my garden that need watering – I have 3 waterbutts totalling 350 ltrs, but it may not be enough. I have paid for, and cherished these plants that bring pleasure to some. Various water companies have been negligent in managing new demands such as data centres, why should I be fined if I use a hose pipe, or a mother lets her children play under a sprinkler – do golf courses have a similar ban? And how is a maximum ban of £1000 fait – I send my kids to Eton and stopped worrying about 6 figure sums – why should they care?

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MIXTURE

Todays post covers everything and nothing!

First my last comment on the World Cup. Not for the performances on the pitch – Spain could and should of scored a hatfull, it would then have been applauded as a great final, instead the pundits who, in their day, generally underperformed, had to have their critical BS noted. The fnal was a debacle for the half times and hydration breaks. Then we had the Argies living uptown their name in a disgraceful show of petulance after the full time whistle, then the Trump had to be ushered away by Rodri as he tried to get some reflected glory – even Lamine Yamal showed contempt for the POTUS. High points for the series were Cabo Verde and Curacao generally holding their own, generally great stadiums, and the competion for the golden boot. low points – the cost of tickets and transport and hotels (some suckers paid $1million for a pitchside seat at the final!); and the kick off times were unfriendly to the European market who provided 75% of quarter finalists. It is all over now!

Second – my tomatoes are coming in at a rate, I have picked basil and garlic with olive oil as a basis for a salad, new potatoes with a mint dressing – and I am waiting for my Chaya tree to arrive – do I pot it or plant it out? I have bags of herbs drying in the GHouse.

Third – Trump, again! has lost patience with Iran and is bombing their infrastructure – nice man! Petrol is creeping up in price as, again the Straits of Hormuz seem to be blocked, and Iran is asking its proxies to do the same with the Houthis blockading the entrance to the Red Sea. Trump did not think this one through – or for that matter the Gaza plan, which is virtually none existent (despite rich boy Tony Blair’s input)!.

Fourth – Burnham is playing a cagey game with his main appointments to the Cabinet, no left wing revolution but still some hope? Israel will be a key denominator for me, moving the UK away from world gas prices will also be important and nationalising Thames Water and others.

Fifth – the weather, its still getting hot, but lovely at dawn! Record ice melt in the Arctic, Donald is a ‘twat’.

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STUPID AND/OR VERY GULLIBLE

Or maybe they are illiterate and cannot count. These are the only conclusions to be drawn from a survey in the USA. Only 61% of Americans beleive that extreme climatic have increased in the USA, amongst Republican voters the figure is below half! Oh well Trump likes hyperbole, maybe he will be boasting about the biggest heatwave, hailstones, floods. In fairness to Americans they do suffer from the frog in a pot syndrome (heat it slowly and the frog will not notice until it is too late) they have tornadoes, hurricanes and floods/heatwaves regularly; and a frontier mentality of survival against the odds. How many would risk their lives, and those of their children by crossing a road with an 80% chance of survival? But the odds on climate change caused by human activity is creating odds that are moving from the possibility to the certainty. Of course there are natural cycles and there have been severe events in the past, but what is incontrovertible is that human activity is enhancing the impacts and frequency. El Niño may result in fewer hurricanes in the Caribbean this year, but should not be used as evidence of a human benign influence – it is anything but!

Whilst on global issues, it is commendable that we lift people out of absolute poverty and increase life expectancy – BUT – we also need to aid birth control so the survivors can have an enhanced standard of living without impinging on the ability of the natural world to survive. That would be a common sense approach but fundamental christians (and possibly other religions too) believe it is gods will to … whatever …. be a complete bastard and destroy nature – they are also against birth control and abortion (even when it is incestous). So the population of an area will increase naturally until people are again dying of starvation (more likely with flood/drought). And the so called “Aid Agencies” then cut their funding due to a war they instigated on false grounds. So, continuing with the projection – the population increases, people are dying of starvation or maybe a disease like ebola – surely a responsible parent would try to move to a safer more prosperous area – its called migration, Oh the irony of people in the rich west trying to stir hatred against the poor and suffering masses; who caused the climate change? Not a poor farmer tilling the land with an oxen. Move to a country that has supermarkets stuffed with products from around the world (without a care of the human or environmental cost of their production).

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COVID

An official report states that the Conservative of the time wasted £10 billion on unusable kit, I know it was a panic time but contracts were handed out without even a glipse of common sense – but the papers ignore this and complain about a present government spend of £10 million on advisors. I think it is proper that such sums are scrutinised to avoid waste, especially at times of public hardship. I know people who are complaining about hardship and the rising cost of living whilst driving a new EV, getting various work done on their house and going out regularly for meals – some hardship. Round here the hardship is well hidden – it often has in rural areas, but there is no evidence of poverty. Only a poverty of caring for others. Parents are quick to blame teachers and schools for their offsprings antics and rarely castigate themselves for poor parenting.

An excellentbresult in Dallas last night and the England football team showed what it could have been. Tonight we will see the masacre of the beautiful game by FIFA greed and American commercialism, half-time by the regulations stipulated by FIFA should be 15 minutes, yet the final will have a 30 minute show with advertising and a star line up, on top of the hydration breaks. Half time is when fans go for a slash, get a cuppa and a pie before returning to their seats to moan about the referee!

Ann Widecombe murder – the accused perpitraitor had his arrest extended for 7 days – and we wait for actual news, Farage says the guy hated him, anything to seize back the news and concentrate it in the muppet himself. Trumpy is having an anger fit again against the Iranian people, this time by bombing their bridges and thus making life even more difficult for people, especislly the poor, and ensuring they will support their despicable government.

So tomorrow we start to learn how different the country will be under Burnham rather than Starmer, to whom I offer my hopes for a great retirement and that he shuts up about destroying the Corbyn Labour Party. Burnham has a difficult job to do with the Labour Party, let alone the government – BUT only the racists and fascist knuckle draggers will not hope we can stop talking about broken Britain – and embrace hope and dreams.

Warm again – and how do brambles grow so fast?

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NEW PM

So from Monday we have a new Prime Minister – Andy Burnham. Firstly cut the crap about him not being elected and not having a manifesto, this type of change has been rife in Parliament this century. Hopefully we will see some big decisions immediately; He should put Thames Water into administration, and any other utility that is misusing customers money; Political funding should be met head on – the public will support whatever restrictions are put on; Drilling in the North Sea., Rosebank and Jackdaw should go ahead with all income supporting green energy initiatives, but no new licences should be necessary!; USA – we need a reset, tell the orange child to fuck off, ban foreign governments financing political organisations – Trump has facilitated a $7 gift to Jacob Scum-Dog’s think tank, and also has supported the Argentine teams use of a banner declaring the Malvinas ‘to be theirs’. FIFA have a no politics rule for a very good reason. Football is a global game played by billions, unlike American minority sports, political gestures have long been outlawed, basically Trump is a thick narcistic bully with faltering cognitive ability, oh and also a rapist and child abuser – how the fuck did America elect the slime ball. Back to Burnham – just down the road for me!. He has already encouraged positive thoughts by talking about basic Labour virtues, can he follow through on Gaza, cost of living, green investment.

Meanwhile all has gone quite on the byelection in Clacton between Count Binface and some joke grifter. The latest IPSOS poll suggest a 60% lead for binface, but interestingly 74% said investigation into his finances should continue regardless of byelection result. Farages popularity raating is falling – perhaps people are more discerning as the facts role out – or will they continue with their racist views?

Tonights football? Heart England: Head France – it should have been the final! Will both teams play to win, or will it be another bore? Mbappi, Kane and Bellingham all have a chance to deprive Messi of the golden boot!

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HERBS

I do not know why I am a little obsessed with my herbs – I just bought 5 diferrent thyme, some golden oregano and a rosemary, also got some parsley seeds to grow inside., oh and a chaya! I filled my 200ltr water butt from a hose – just incase there is a hosepipe ban in the next week or so. I feel a little guilty as this seems selfish – but I have invested in my wilderness. Butterflies are supposedly doing well this summer – I have nettles and buddleja, together with herbs and flowers, but have only seen, skippers, whites, meadow brown and a blue so far, maybe they will appear later.

Andy Burnham to become Prime Minister – a remarkable event, Labour MP’s must be wondering what they lack in charisma to not being challenging him! 401 are seen to be not worthy as a newcomer sweeps the board! Is he worth the hype? The left are likely to be disappointed – he is part of the establishment, albeit with some nice ideas.

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NEW TERM

The Daily Fail has come up with a new term, Ann Widdecombe’s murderer MAY have been a “left wing terrorist”. Of course they have no knowledge of this – he was not known to the police or anti-terror organisations. So this is to whip up a bit of hatred against people like me and my family. Reform personalities, especially Farage and Jenprick, are trying to make it all about them – Farage turned down government funded protection saying it was inadequate ‘is that compared to the £5million you said was donated for your security, Nigel?’. Other MP’s have shown concern but not panic despite regular death threats and a desire not to be blase, she once received 600 rape threats in one evening! So back to the top – is there a left-wing terrorist threat in the UK? I am sure there are a few friendless losers who are on their own, compared to right-wing terrorism which is organised and supported by right wing parties and the press.

The village hall is showing the football tonight, I was told there will be a fantastic atmosphere! From geriatric people who hate football and are closet racists, No thanks. Spain was a revalation last night, beating the favorites France – Trump will possibly have to watch the game with 2 PM’s, one of whom is defiantly anti-American/Israel war on Iran. Starmer can be seen as right of centre but still not a fan of his. I am sure the POTUS will be supporting Argentina, and watch out for dirty tricks!

11 million people live in areas where less than 10% land gets shade from trees. A report on BBC website todays suggests the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC – a vast, north-south system of currents that carries warm surface water towards the Arctic and returns colder water thousands of miles south through the deep ocean (known to my generation as the North Atlantic Drift!), is breaking down. Temperatures in the south especially have markedly risen, rainfall data in the paper was selective, but it is likely that we will see more extremes and floods (unless the beavers get to work! Also a question – are grouse moors more vulnerable to wildfires, we already know that they are exascerbating flooding near them. Time to ban shooting wildlife for pleasure and the male ego! This could open up a huge swaithe of land for the public wind turbines or solar, or even more H.E.P.?

1st tomato from greenhouse today! And drying lots of herbs! More on the way!

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NO NEWS TODAY

The papers have lost the plot – the front pages were characterised by their lack of news. It was all conjecture and guesswork. Anne Widdicombes murder was ‘politica’ was suggested as a fact when all that had happened was the investigation was taken over by counter-terrorism police, who presumably have more knowledge and expertise than Devon & Cornwall police. Tonights football match also revealed a great deal of hot air and rumblings about past misdemeanours. A study of the last heatwave also revealed that the right wing press were reporting on it without a mention of climate change. there was even conjecture about the price to be spent by someone with, too much money, for a T.Rex dinasaur skeleton. In the past philanthropists would have created a museum and endowed it with scientific research teams, but now – we will see, or not see it again! The farce that is Trump’s war (with huge casualties) continues – here again the facts are hard to ascertain. Do the verbal vomit that comes out of his, and his pals, mouths mean anything at all. His latest is to charge a 20% tax on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz – illegal, but like he cares about that, he has probably forgotten he said it,nor has denied he said it.

Of greater concern is the lack of awareness regarding wildfires, there have been outbreaks across England and Wales in the last couple of days, and with no rain expected for the next week or so, it would seem sensible to issue a public warning against BBQ’s in vulnerable places – a ban on disposable units would also help. Perhaps councils should set up free BBQ sites in urban areas, or at least charge a no profit fee to ensure safety and clean up. Many people live in flats and would love the opportunity for a bbq party somewhere safe. Lostwithiel council has provided a BBQ by the River Fowey which is free to use and kept unlittered by appreciative users (as far as I know).

Everything seems to be monetised now – even scrubby Sand Bay at W-s-M has car park charges, it used to be just the NT to help pay for the upkeep of Sand Point which has free access, but now walking by the sea is seen as a money making exercise. Like all sports – there is a price to pay, when in my teens, my neighbour Ann and I would cycle into the tennis grounds provided by the council and charged a couple of bob and hour for the privilege, now it is ‘join the tennis club – darling’. A local field with goal posts is surrounded by a 8ft fence and locked – it seems always.

Where is the love? Has society turned into insular units of selfishness?