Just making a list : Mangoes, garlics, herbs, lemon drizzle, pickled onions, green tomato chutney, strawberry jam, apples but Millie is misbehaving so no bread – I bought a loaf this morning for the first time in 4/5 weeks. I am thinking I might make another batch of pickled onions, and then need to practice with pastry for christmassy cookies, I have lots of cinnamon, star anise, mace – typing this makes me realise it is xmas cake making time! I might make a few smaller cakes this year, I have the tins. And then a quandary – Matthew is lactose intolerant, but I will ask him today what he has, then there is Matthew ‘the egg man’ who is diabetic, and Kate who is just weirdly picky (no glace cherries, apricots, almond,s, – and then tomatoes, onions, olives, coconut,), and then Jaimie with no currants or raisins! Erin is easy with just being a veggie – only affects main course. Please note that my children do not have eating anomalies, they always ate whatever they were given!
DIET
Britain had developed a certain qudos for the innovative restaurants that abounded before Covid. However this masked the growth of take aways and more generally UPFoods. Pre-made dinners are common and relatively cheap. Our children are provided with this in schools, pot noodles are cheap easy and quick in the shortened lunchtimes. Jamie Oliver did his best but the media has conspired against him.
SLAVERY – REPATRIATIONS
An interesting topic with few unassailable arguments! Firstly a verbal apology is essential and the easiest answer. A full detailed apology is a must. However when it comes to finance it is much more difficult. Any good intention would be swallowed up by lawyers fees! And then could there be a counter claim for port facilities, etc. that the colonialists put in? Should descendants pay for the crimes of their ancestors? Obviously there is a muddied vision here – the great houses and artifacts within them are of great value and our wealth as a nation was a huge beneficiary of the slave trade. Should the country houses be sold – who too? Russian oligarchs or Saudi princes who also have much blood on their hands. We live in an imperfect world.
VAPES
Interesting social phenomena? Numbers taking up vaping exceeds numbers who took up smoking. OK some honesty here – I started smoking at the age of 16 and stopped in 2020. It was cool when I was 16, adverts and films had cool people smoking – OK so I was naive and stupid! But a tremendous amount of advertising supported my stupidity! However what attracts kids to vaping? It does not seem to be cool? Is peer pressure so overwhelming, and concerning? My local shop is approaching £100000 for vape sales? I have no idea about tobacco sales for comparison.
Are vapes actually safer? Or is the ‘safer’ publicity misleading? I personally cannot see how it can be safer? And as Kate suggested – how long before tobacco companies come up with a new alternative?
CHRIS KABA
I have waited for a cou[le of days before commenting. I think a lot of the noise has been a result of the institutional racism of the Met.Police rather than the specific facts of this case. The police presumably knew about the victims history of violence and therefore may have feared for their lives. Would he have been shot in the head if he was white? – we will never know that. Was it right for the police officer to undergo a trial? – almost certainly, although the murder charge was harsh!
What is known is that the county lines and associated gang violence will not be cured by armed police or harsher prison sentences. Whilst the press can pander to their white, middle class, elderly readership with crass attention seeking headlines, the problem will fester unfettered.
oor Stop and search seems reasonable on paper, until as a black person you are stopped for for the 20th or 30th time! Those fo right wing persuassion will cry about two-tier policing and positive discrimination, but the reality is that we are neglecting the young of all colours. A well funded job market for those with the social contacts has been created that is based on inherited wealth rather than merit. A stat from a phone in was that 76% of black men in prison did not have a positive male role model. Youth clubs and Sure Start were cut to pay for tax benefits for the rich. Trickle down economics is a fairy story to assuage the guilt of the white middle class (yes me and those like me!).
AROGANCE
James Cleverly chartered a private jet to visit Rwanda, that is not my main gripe (i am sure that as a senior Minister in government his time was valuable). But £653.55 p per person for him and his 14 officials is extortionate by any standards. This was a one day visit! To rack up this size bill there must have been pre-ordering, what plane carries £10000 of food for a 1 day return flight with 15 people? As the article below shows, this expenditure was endemic in the Tory government.
I find it hard to understand the mental state of these people! It is also of concern that the 14 others will be civil servants in the Foreign Office and still in post? Did they object or raise questions? or just tuck in! I am also intrigued as to the make up of the bill? Presumably wine was a major part unless they were snorting saffron whilst gorging on Almas Caviar with white alba truffles and Coffin Bay Oysters and maybe a cup of Wild Harvested Kopi Luwak Coffee.
The distain for common people like you and me is overwhelming!
But again, in the context of everything this is not a big deal, at least the Mail and Express, Sun and Telegraph and even Times think that getting a free (no cost to the ta payer) ticket to watch/meet Taylor Swift or Arsenal FC is a much bigger issue! That is the shit media that influences the old.
THE RICH
What is it about them that makes them so obnoxious? And I am talking about the mega rich mostly! Sir Jim Ratcliffe is part owner of ManU and has just spent over £100m on the Americas Cup Challenge. He also sponsors cycling. Whilst there are worse things he could be doing with his money it seems such a waste? Musk has splurged $45b on Twitter. Where is the humanity and compassion? Footballers get a lot of criticism for their wealth but many support charities in a big way.
Tax the bastards and let the public (via voting in GE’s decide where to spend the money?
CHILDREN
How many more children, like Sara Sharif, will need to die before England falls into line with Scotland and Wales, and gives children the same protection as adults. Forget the stupid arguments against a ban ‘It never did me any harm”. (have a look in the mirror – pal!). The a gentle tap does no hardm – How much is too much?, Who gets to decide. But they were being really naughty and could have hurt themselves or others – I suggest you sign up for a parenting course!
There should never be a situation which warrants hitting a child (even 12 year old rioters!). There may, as with any crime, be mitigating circumstances, but only a judge or magistrate should be able to decide on these! A child dies of abuse every week in England
However, based on the number of child homicides recorded by the police each year, we know that, on average, at least one child is killed a week in the UK.( NSPCC).
Yes it would be great to see the anti-woke twats getting flamed up about a ban – but that is just anside bonus to the ending of cruelty to children. Well probably not and end too, but hopefully a beginning to the end of …
POWER STRUGGLES
So Russia may be behind a number of plots to destabilise the west. If Trump is elected we can expect more, especially in formerly Soviet friendly republics like Hungary and East Germany. Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine in one day – presumably by caving into his mate Putin. I am sure many Ukrainians agree that a peace will cede territory to Russia, but only if equitable with guarantees.
Meanwhile USA has flexed its muscles against the Houti in Yemen with strikes using deep penetration bombs. Is this a warning to Iran?
And then China which Sunak raised at PMQ’s yesterday. Military practises all around Taiwan might have been used to test the temperature of world support for Taiwan?
Other conflicts continue without publicity; Sudan, Myanmir and increasing tension on the Guyana/Venezuela border.
I also do not know enough about computer networks but it seems obvious to me that National networks like the electricity grid, the NHS and probably many more should be broken down into regional units or smaller. It may be less efficient, but having all your eggs in one basket seems risky in the present climate.
Argh CLIMATE. We need to shout this from the rafters. The potential impact on food supplies in the future is being discussed. Hurricane Milton has affected the orange crop and Juice is at a record high on markets. Cost will be easily in excess of $1billion. Mixed farms used to be the norm in the UK – if one crop failed another would be ok. But with globalisation monoculture of a region can become serious.
I am aware that I am rambling like one of Trumps speeches – but I am not standing to be president of the ‘still’ most powerful nation on earth.
I am also concerned that individuals are gaining power within our democracies. Musk was able to leverage enough capital to buy Twitter for $40 billion. That sort of money goes a huge way when used on social media and in advertising to manipulate votes! Only diehards would claim that they could not be swayed with bullshit information. Brexit certainly was – it only took 2% of voters to fall for the false information.
American internet is awash at the moment with a tidal wave of obviously weird information that seems to be believed by at least 30%. I am also sure that I would disagree with Harris on probably 60-65% of issues, but it is worth remembering that Obama was not perfect either! They are all warmongering capitalists at heart. Bernie Sanders and Ralph Nader never stood a chance against the wealth of the capitalists and their control of the media. A bye-polar world is not dangerous (stalemate) but stiffles innovation.
BUDGET
So everyone wants a bit more but are aghast at being asked to pay a bit more! Employers Nat Ins increase are said to be a tax on jobs; but in reality is likely to have a minor impact. I would like to see some initiatives like limiting directors bonus payments and share dividends to be equal or lower than payouts to workers? (light bulb flashes!).