Posts

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LABOUR

In 2 weeks Andy Burnham has done more to install pride in Britain again than any politican in this century. Education, defence, care homes, energy bills, pubs, even football have benefitted from his attention. I still wait for an announcement about the genocidal government of Israel though. But so far – so good!

Watered everything outside and greenhouse today – inside tomorrow! I might leave some herbs to seed – and then collect it – why? I guess the answer is because I can! Tomatoes – doing well, I should have a kilo tomorrow.

Council tax changes – introduced in 1993 there have been no significant changes to council tax since then. House prices have changed massively – so a need for change is obvious, why should a mansion in Kensington pay the same as a house in Bradford? This is an easier way to implement a wealth tax, the rich can move abroad if they wish, but their obligation to pay the tax is still the same, as is moving assets offshore. Stately homes with more than 250 days access should be allowed a discount if they agree to conditions! I am sure the RWPress would make hay about this – but fuck them>. I might have to pay a litte more, but I am ok with that, and by the way, houses left empty should be charged the same (some allowances made for bereavement!).

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WORLD CUP BOYCOTT

So FIFA want to make more money “to distribute to poorer nations’ – an honourable objective until it becomes apparant that FIFA is sitting on $4 billion at present. It is also offering a $20 million bribe for countries to agree (how is that legal). Further doubt on the ethicacy of the proposal is the insolvent of Trump and his money grabbing family. Football is a game of the people, unlike many others and UEFA have stated that all member nations in Europe will boycott the scheme unless it is withdrawn. The scheme would expand the size and number of FIFA tournaments with no oncern for players, who, whilst well rewarded, can have their careers ended in moments, who already play 70+ intensity matches per year. Do they get a say? And does the UEFA edict also include clubs and their players – if so, the idea is worthless to potential investors, 74% of the World Cup squads play in Europe (the % beccomes much higher if it includes top players). On the players fatigue element, Chelsea won the FIFA “World Club Champions” farce in America – and then ran out of steam in the League, finishing 10th. There was also no mention in the proposal for women’s football at all. So Infantino maybe able to enthuse ‘daddy Trump”, bribe poorer countries (many of whom’s FA’s are riddled with corruption), but without UEFA backing his plans are collapsing like castles in the sand as the tide comes in! (Poetic moi!).

Meanwhile back in the real world the papers – even The Guardian- made a headline of the wild fire in Suffolk being near (12 miles) to a nuclear power plant (Sizewell), no matter that there was no danger to Sizewell itself and the area between the heath that was burning was farmland (probably cereal crops that could be harvested early if necessary), just lazy journalism playing on peoples fears. Apparently disposable bbq manufacturers have got by the ban on disposable, by making them reusable, although very little difference! Maybe a registration system for buying should be introduced – it would not be perfect but could narrow down the culprits whose stupid causes the fire and sometimes deaths. Online purchases would be passed tonthe police too. Why is it that Public Schools and Dulwich College can water their fields of pitches, whilst community gardens can not! Britains class structure persists.

Eco-regions! I read a proposal in France to create eco regions. That makes a lot of sense – until one looks at the complicated geology of Britain, would the South and Noth Down regions combine – and the Weald between? Norfolk and Lincolnshire combine, maybe Essex and Suffolk, the middle of the country I have no idea about – but worth a discussion!. In economic terms most counties are economically eco friendly. County town and surrounding hinterland.

Meanwhile – Internationally Saudi Arabia have said they will strike against Houthi targets in an attempt to make the export of their oil safe. More posturing, it is unlikely that bombing would do more than several years worth would do? Houthis have to only hit 1/20 tankers to make oil prices rise! Oil taken from the ground has a given cost/profit/price – do Iran and the USA have an agreement to take it in turns to elevate the price of oil, and thus oil companies profits.

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PROACTIVE

With the mostly dry weather to persist for at least another month, some light rain is forecast next week, it would seem to be time to subsidise water butts, and possibly waste water schemes for houses. We obviously need to save water, but wildlife needs the floers and there pollen. Rewilding a garden also lowers the temperature (and raises it in winter), so a win-win situation. A large wildfire broke out on the Suffolk coast yesterday. The public needs to see justice handed out to those who are careless with their flames, As I said yesterday appropriate punishments should be imposed. It seems that most of Europe is at risk with susceptable areas stretching from Northern Sweden and including large swaithes of Central Europe. Fires also seem to be endemic in North America – whilst Trump claims that Canada is attempting to poison the air in the USA – fucking moron!

So proactive should be a watch word for water companies and politicians. Next summer could be worse. Data centres could be charged for the water and the money used to subsidize farmers to build dams and reservoirs, although with much of our geology being porous/pervious even building ‘leaky dams’ and ‘check dams’ to allow infiltration, every little helps.

Does Iran deliberately provoke Trump? It seems that every time he states that there is a ceasefire, they provoke him into more heieous activity! has he persuaded Sunni Islamic Saudi Arabia to come in against Shia Muslims (in Iran and Iraq, and possibly Yemen). However it seems that Trump cannot win without boots on the ground – which is not acceptable to the majority of Americans. Will the democrats fuck up an election they should not lose? Mandami is the most popular politician in the US, but many democrats (closet Republicans) are hesitating before backing him and his supporters and like minded individuals.

Tomatoes doing well!

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FUN

I love it when politicians make fools of themselves, and like Noah’s Ark they come in 2 by 2. Firstly the brave Chris Philp defies the might of France and a pistol discharged in the opposite direction to claim it was directed at him – pussy!; Then Zac Polanski – whom I like and admire, makes a fundamental error in reposting a t-shirt with Farage and a guillitine in juxtaposition – reposting is for imbeciles like Trump, not serious politicans- polanski and the Greens are losing in polls after the momentum created by Polanski and Hannah Spencer. They will not be the last, thats for sure.

Apple is the wotlds richest company at $5trillion – largely because it has not invested huge amounts in AI! Which is interesting? In the UK Andy Burnham continues to impress; his education plan has been widely welcomed by most; his plans for a meeting regarding care, with Badenoch and Davey is quite ground breaking, consensus politics rather than the adversarial ones of the last century at least (War coalitions exempt). Obviously there will be tax implications and the RW Press are getting ready to condemn any positive ideas. But a good start?

Meanwhile – earthquake in Japan is huge, but sensible building regs seems to have limited damage and loss of life. In Europe the flames continue. Gaia is obviously not happy.

Tomatoes are good and herbs thriving!

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NEWS BUT NOT THE NEWS

Wildfires in France and Spain and other countries are news – human suffering is always good news, especially if they are British tourists! But the serious bit is that this situation is potentially cataclysmic. The RW Press will still bang on about immigrants (potential numbers could spiral) and other trivia. We need to take action in a big way, like a war footing. Yes tax the rich to pay for it – Britain can be a world leader again – this country is too nice to leave!

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NHS

Our personal records have been acquired by a US private equity firm. Motivated by profit not patients, and from a country with an unstable leader I guess we should be concerned. There are all sorts of ways that the company, TPG, could monetise our data and sell it on to insurance companies and employers? At the same time a deal Starmer made with Trump is estimated could cost over 200000 lexcess deaths in the UK and cost the NHS $billions. There has to be a line between totally free foreign investment and what is best for Britain. The water companies are an excellent example – A large amount of Thames Water debt was created by an Australian company whilst at the same time failing to make investments to stop pollution. Incidentally with low flow in rivers it is highly likely that water firms will be discharging dangerous amounts of sewage (especially if we have storms before the river flows recover.

Evacuations across Europe due to devastating wild fires that continue to rage near Madrid and Bordeaux, are being matched by similar evauations across Asia due to devastating typhoons and flooding.; and we have not seen the worst of El Niño until next year. Incidentally – why can we still buy disposable bbqs in the UK – for as little as £2! At the very least they should come with a fire extinguisher. And lets see some punishment fitting the crime measures here – fines and prison are inappropriate when confiscation of vehicles or as an alternative 100’s of hours of cleaning up the mess they caused. Cigarette companies should be forced to provide free butt boxes to shops to give away 9free advertising?

My front drive has chicory and evening primrose and a couple of other plants growing in it – it would not be rocket science to stipulate that all driveways and paving over of lawns should involve a lattice that allows infiltration of rain, and can be a haven for wildlife (it needs all the help it can get!). It could still be mown, it would cut flooding risk in cities where of street parking ahs become endemic with former gardens concreted.

So the prediction is, and I hope I am so wrong, A wet autumn, followed in the New Year by a very cold spell, then a summer of heat waves – hopefully as we are an island the temperatures will be moderated. Britains housing also needs massive refurbishment – even houses built this year! Insulation, windows with shutters, that open inwards? Oh _ I am sure others have better ideas!

Meanwhile – Trump is playing Hokey Cokey with the world again on a destructive level – bombing Iran/being friends; tariffs on/off. I think it goes beyond business, we all like an element of stability – he is single handily destroying the worlds economy. And many Amricans still support the pervert!

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WILDFIRES

An unbelievable number of people are evacuated in Spain and France – where do they go? It might be for a short while, but for others whose houses burn it means change on a massive scale, childrens schools, pets, and all the junk we accumulate through the years. I really feel for these people; and the wildlife whose escape maybe more perilous.

And so the police are investigating Tice and the dodgy finances of Reform, and finally the presss are awakening to the bloody obvious realsisation that what policies Reform has are crap! What else to report? Nothing really – a burning fucked up world is more than enough for today!

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WILDFIRES

It is something that affects others – not me – is a dangerous notion. I have done my own risk assessment on my home. I am approximately 200m north of an unmanaged wood. 70m is a field then “the other side of the road and their gardens”. So with a s-w wind I could be vulnerable. We have also had a limited amount of overnight rain so everything is not tinder, thebwoods are not much used either, so less likelyhood of portable bbqs or cigarette ends starting it. So I think I will be ok? That in itself is a dangerous thought! Even in cities the once lauded open spaces are vulnerable – I think I remember a incidence last year where a couple of houses were burnt,

Only a tiny percent of fires are started by lightning, most are started accidentally, or maliciously by human beings with small brains. However we are now building more houses in potentially vulnerable areas, the fires in California demonstrated that the fires do not respect wealth and power! Education would seem to be essential (including the deaths by drowning in warm weather) – but here the government has a problem. Many people have no access to the BBC, a traditional source of, now amusing, educational warnings. Schools are basically the last chance to educate the whole population. This situation is made worse by the impacts of Reform, Badenoch’s tories and the other lot, basically research shows that wildfires are likely to increase in danger and become 10X more common across Europe. Stop bleating on about Net Zero ad back it. Even if we stopped polluting the atmosphere tomorrow (I wish), it would take decades to return to a ‘normal’, the oceans (70% of earth’s surface) are warming and storing heat that will take eons to dissipate, And here I have a question – What if I am wrong and Badenoch, Trump, Farage and whoever are correct? Then I guess I would be happy with small benefits like cleaner air, despite the cost of Net Zero. If I am correct – not doing anything and drilling for more oil is treason and should be punishable by the sequistration of assets – both personal and corporate.

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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!