Author: Richard

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US TECH STOCKS

So a $trillion wiped off stocks! No doubt Trump will put trade barriers up but it is about time! The tech giants will have to get used to smaller profit margins if the competition really hots up! The US embargo on exporting top quality chips to China apparantly led to them producing a much more efficient version of AI, one which does all the important things that ChatGPT can do, and for a cheaper price. Quite why US giants have got away with a cartel situation for so long is strange. Their purchasing power has meant that competition has been bought out quickly. The open laissez faire policies of European nations has allowed this with firms such as ARM being sold abroad.

The huge investments firms are making in developing ‘thinking’ AI may be optimistic – just as the development of the motor car saw the main profits in the mass produced ‘available to all versions’, so AI may be similar?

As for the moguls of the tech era – we have/arewatching the Murdoch dynasty fight it out in court, wit at least 12 children the word can look farward to the Musk empire imploding. Tessla is already suffering from competition whilst the space industry is getting crowded out with satellites (Amazon now entering the competition).

The Planet will also see increassing environmental disasters as the natural systems adapt to the changes – there is usually a time lag with climatic change. I fear that we ‘haven’t seen nothing yet!

Conflicts over resources continue with the latest escalation being DRCongo where Rwandan supported rebels have taken over a major city (Goma) in the mineral rich area of the country. The world has too many people in the context of the current economic system. Countries like Britain should ensure that multi-culturalism and equality are embedded in the system whilst also reducing migration and thus the population. In my lifetime the population of the world has trebled and the UK has continued its growth from 50 million to 70 million.

A thought – I am having these, and some are appalling (e.g. Why are all Auchwitz survivors QPR supporters? I know, I Know – very, very bad and poor taste). But in the UK we have an ageing population – maybe it is not new housing for all that is required but retirement estates with facilities for all – gardens, sports, meeting rooms, communal dining areas? I know many old people are set in their ways and obnoxious but it would free up lots of housing. £10000 per bedroom grant to move out (on top of value of house or just is for rented). Thus freeing up houses in the suburbs for families. Cost-benefit would be amazing! No new builds and infrastructure improvements. Increased efficiency in health care for the old. Just thoughts!

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DISAPPOINTING

Chat with Andy this morning. We agreed 100% that the Labour government has been disappointing to say the least! Winter fuel payments and the farmers inheritance tax could both have been avoided with a little nous! They had at least 2 years in which to prepare for government – but have done nothing! Water company debacle was known about and yet the government is unprepared. They have also allowed themselves to be diverted into discussions about grooming!

Setting the agenda with the RWPress should not be difficult. People want, nay demand some radical policies to give optimism for the future. If Labour do not provide, then from a different angle Reform will! The Tories seem doomed with Badenoch – she appears witless whilst Jenrick is worse! Whilst I debate whether the only good Tory is a dead Tory, I do wonder what has happened to the sensible Conservative Party, the one which purported to propose that a bigger cake equalled more money for the poor?

All we have now is the pursuit of money. The RWP are unashamedly fixated on the USA and the orange man child. here again Lefties like me need to be careful – Trump cannot be wrong on everything, so we need to be discerning and selective.

On Europe the papers are trying to make the govt. tread carefully – but opinion polls show that the populist view is closer alignment (if they will have us). And Europe, at least western Europe needs us! The former Soviet dominated states are veering to the right – is our terminology wrong here? Was the USSR wrongly identified as being left wing when the reality was that it was a totalitarian dictatorship of the right. Marxist ideology was only applied when it suited the regimes.

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SHIT

The orange man baby Luddite is pushing for more drilling of fossil fuels. Climate deniers have a good argument in that alternatives are more expensive! Who wants to pay more for fuel and thus everything else? This wehere economics is totally fucked up. We factor in insurance as a cost of transport – so why not factor in the environmental cost. The public needs to have the details – future predicted cost of temperature rising -versus the cost of taking action now. there will always be numbskulls who put personal welfare above societies, this is becoming increasingly common as individuals exist in their own echo chambers. The frog in boiling water analagy is a good one, except these people will be the ones demanding action to help them when disaster occurs. A strong line needs to be taken – cough up or shut te fuck up!

The same is true of our food. The use of pesticides and chemicals on our food is disgusting. The average cost of takeaways per person in the UK is £641p.a. – that is over £11 per week per person. the average spend on food per week is £42. Quick calculation – that is approx 25% of food budget goes on takeaways – and that is without the proportion spent of over processed foods. Society is fucked …….up! 75% of supermarket food sales are processed. With both parents needing an income to pay a mortgage it is no wonder the NHS suffers!

OK I have stopped moaning! What we need is an anti-growth coalition. I am quite open that we need fewer immigrants – not for reasons of colour or religeon, but because we have enough people for te room available. We need better use of our resources. Less chemicals on food, less transport, greater community.

And I just made a gumbo https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/feb/13/how-to-cook-perfect-gumbo. excellent – next up is lemon meringue pie!

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NEWS

I do not understand how Thames Water can pay dividends and bonus’ when it is in so much debt. Capitalism is supposed to weed out failing companies? I have some sympathy for the government not wishing to nationalise it when so many foreign companies and pension funds are invested – but they have had their chance to sell up! So nationalise.

Neoncotinoid poison is to be banned in the uk. A pesticide that protects sugar beet is extremely fatal to bees – “honey – it’s a no brainer”! But the NFU was against the ban!

Storm Eowin – more havoc predicted. At least we have the brilliant Met.Office to warn us, and even send out text messages. However I think that we are seeing more and stronger storms than in the past. For sure we have had bad events, but they are becoming regular. I guess our farmers are struggling to cope with the changes?

Trump – I fear that we have not seen the worst yet. I sort of get why Musk, and Co. want lower taxes to increase their profits – no wait a minute I FUCKING DO NOT! Why should these obscenely rich priveldged cunts receive more money?

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CULTURAL HISTORY

I have a quiz thing going with the local shop – Today’s was when was Robinson Crusoe written – I was surprised that the shop manager had never heard of it (Kate got it 100%). Being 71 and an ex-teacher should I have been surprised by this? My knowledge of celbrities is almost totally absent and my lack of film knowledge is legendary

However it did made me think about the shared culture that is becoming fragmented with the internet. So a list of famous Brits that I would consider important.

In no particular order Turing, Bernier’s-Lee, Shakespeare, F. Nightingale, C.Dickens, J.Austin, Bronte sisters, RLStevenson author and the George Stevenson inventor, James Watt, IK Brunel, James Cook, Francis Drake, Wellington, C.Darwin, A.Fleming, R.Dhal, B.Potter, R.Hargreaves, L.Carrol, S.Peyps, J.Wren, Capability Brown,A.A.Milne, J.Constable, JR Turner, Shelley, Tennyson, Byron, Robin Hood, Robert the Bruce,D.Attenbrough?Horatio Nelson, Beatles, R.Branson, David Livingstone. Robert Clive (bastard!), Cabot, Mary Quant,

Politicians – Gladstone, Disraeli, Churchill, Thatcher, Lloyd-George, Peel younger and elder, Bevan Ernest and Aneurin, Marx and Engles.

Events – Tolpuddle Martyr’s, Armarda, D-Day, Dunkirk, Agincourt, Culluden,

Rulers – Arthur,Alfred, William 1, Richard 1, Henry 5,7 +8, Edward 1, Charles 1, Victoria. Cromwell

Sports -Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Andrew Murray, WCGrace, Murray Walker, Hamilton, Jim Clarke,

Music – this will be dated – Cliff Richard (unfortunately) makes the list, Adam Faith, Cilla Black, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Spice Girls, Blur, Oasis,

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AMERICA

What have you done? Oh my, are you going to regret it!

the orange man baby has acted with both speed and spite. The rioters have been pardoned, he has quit the WHO, opened up the USA for further fossil fuel exploitation, renaming The Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali, declaring a state of emergency on the southern borders, withdrawing from Paris Agreement, declaring that there are only 2 genders. Americans will come to learn what it is to live in a fascist state.

Of further concern was the guest list for his inauguration – the mega rich, the inhumane, the bigots were all out in force. The British contingent were obviously not rich enough, not inhumane enough and not bigotted enough to get an invite and were left fawning outside.

He has already impregnated the Supreme Court with his minions, now he has passed a schedule to allow dismissal of any civil servant at his whim. Promoting the macho image augers ill for women – rape charges have not been disproved against him; anti-abortion laws have been enforced by some states even in cases of paternal rape. The man is a disgrace to the human race. Planet Earth is unlikely to submit without a fight! Unfortunately she does not have the ability to be selective in the disasters she can wreak. But we can be sure that the USA will not be spared from drought, flood, fire, earthquakes, tornado and even tsunami.

God spared him (according to himself) – I am definitly a confirmed atheist!

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VISION

Ok so Trump is in the White House, Labour are disappointing and it is January and cold.

So time for a ramble through my hopes for the future. Firstly (as this will not be a coherent list!) climate change. Deniers can fuck themselves not others! Changing the norms of society will be glacially slow anyway, so it is imperiative to start yesterday! Solar panels and heat pumps should be subsidised and made compulsory for all new builds and large buildings. Electric cars should be subsidised by the recycling of petrol driven ones. these are no brainers!

Society should move towards the longevity of things – quality over convenience. It now gets difficult as quality costs more! So to avoid penalising poverty we need a more equable society. I suppose it is inevitable that there are spongers and crooks amongst us, but that should not provide the justification for huge wage differences. I am now losing the plot! How can we encourage risk and productivity without penalising it? I need to think things through more before continuing! Education has to be a key element as does community/society.

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SCAM

I think I have been scammed? I am generally careful, I do not answer phone to unknown callers, i do not give out bank details, etc. But when I checked my bank balance (a rare occassion in itself!) I found some debits for £34.95 – when I contacted the bank they said i had done a deal for £2 on 2 Nov 2024 and should check emails for a confirmation. I have cleared my emails since then! Still £140 worse off is better than thousands! I guess I will discover if it is important when the next payment is cancelled! I have no idea – could £2 have been added to a bill for Corinnes Birthday present without me noticing? Oh well, if not a scam I will find out!

In politics Starmer has made an announcement regarding AI – I do not pretend to understand it! It is not the absolute nutters who are of concern (the planet matters more than people brigade), but the rich bastards who will manipulate things for their own ego’s – and there are a lot of them from Trump, Musk, Zuckerberg,etc. down to thelikes of Murdoch and family and other low life.

LA continues to burn – cost estimated at over £200 billion – I guess that some insurance firms could go bust (Florida’s 2 hurricanes were not cheap) and the rest of us will also pay – even in the UK! And Trump blames officials, firefighters, anyone other than the perpetrators – the oil and gas industries. In this country the RW papers blame green initiatives for the gas shortage, not the government that shut the storage facilities!

Then to Zuckerberg who is stopping fact checking in the name of ‘freedom of speech’. What a fucking knob! What is wrong when little men with little penis’s sit in their bedrooms and spout such vile shite. Havetz’ wife said she has had posts hoping they lose their unborn child due to her husband missing a penalty! What should their penalty be? Prison maybe, community service – not enough? Castration? This is a possible solution!

We live in a patriacal society whatever people say. Women are not treated equally in our society. Token women in politics, who have to act like men to succeed, do not count. Economics, especially business economics is a fantasy created for, and driven by men. The Public School system is designed for men. The House of Lords is what it says on the label!

Iceland now has a co-alition that has women in every main position of power. In this country we congratulate ourselves by having Thatcher as PM but she was surrounded by men. But have we actually had a government department actually run by women? The civil service is dominated by pseudo aristocracy, power remains in mens grip. The structure of firms is designed for power based dickheads! Labour should insist that all companies have employee sharing of profits.

Oh well – that is enough rant! Cold again, keep warm and feed the birds – I had a bullfinch in the garden but very few other species! Where are all the tits?

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WEATHER

The cold spell continues for at least until the end of January. We had only a smattering of snow whilst Blagdon and Bristol Airport had a worthwhile covering for a while. After a year of persistant rain this makes a change!

USA meanwhile has massive fires in California (insurance bill will be astronomical!). and heavy snow in the East and south. Trump blames the fires on the Green initiative diverting funds – the guy is unreal! and our conservative and Reform MP’s echo him like lemmings! Muskrat is harping on about rape gangs as he is soo heavily committed to young girls welfare! Facebook has done away with fact checking in the name of democratic freedom and freedom of speech. The world is fucking insane!

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2025

Morning on the 6th I ought to take decorations down but it is too wet and cold! Snow is missing us and is forecast to miss us on Weds – just the bit arond the Bristol Channel is snow free. But damp cold is not pleasant! I made some maslin bread which is a bit rubbery (perhaps due to the inordinate length of time is had to rise (I forgot about it on both risings!), but I gave the loaves away to people who had never had it before, thus they will not know that it is not meant to be like that! Goldfinch on Evening Primrose again. It is appropriately a female!

I went shopping but rather uninspired! I might make some wraps with a little heat? Beef or chicken fried with chilli, then mixed with salad of lettuce, tomatoes and scallions in garlic/basalmic vinegar sauce?

Political news is non-existent. Musk thinks Farage is not good enough for Reform – he may be correct as it is a party that solely relies on him. Musk should just stfu! How he can blame grooming gangs on Starmer and Phillips is beyond me, but the guy is psycho! Should we be pleased and grateful that he devotes his precious time to the UK? Although he has made comments about Germany too. I suspect Tesla is largely fucked and he will need to rely on SpaceX, X formally Twitter is also struggling. SpaceX is also facing competition from Amazon with mini-satellites for mobile phones (both have plans for 2000+ satellites).. Space junk is multiplying!

Chief executives of FTSE100 companies will have earned more by 12 noon today than the average British worker will earn this year! How can any of them justify this? Economics and efficiency are debateable concepts that have ruled for too long! We have seen how these concepts applied to education and health have fucked them both. Tax should be welcomed and paid with the self-satisfying glow of altruism! I aim this at mega corporations rather than small business owners – although they should listen and be aware! Near here there was a thriving cadbury chocolate factory making a profit. It was bought, closed down and business transferred to Eastern Europe for a bigger profit. Jobs lost, families decimated, and for what? Bigger profits for CEO’s and shareholders. I know there are often pension providers depending on these profits. The system is totally fucked!

So 2025 will bring what? Climatic disasters, a Labour Party bending to the RWPress, an opposition that cannot decide how far right to go? A frustrated public. Why are is there no competition for the likes of Corbyn? His views were generally liked and popular. However he was not a great leader and certainly made too many PR gaffes on foreign policy. Competition for the left is stiffled by the ghosting of the press.

Britain needs a vision for the future that is not immediately undermined by the Mail/Telegraph/Sun/Times/i/Express and to a lesser extent Guardian (not an innocent bystander!). Many doctors were horrified by the birth of the NHS but a bold and confident government could lead the way – however this Labour government does not seem up for it!

PS. My mac has someone reportedly down loading my files – they have been doing it for a week now! So they must be fucking useless or the advertisers should look for a better way to scam people!