Category: Garden

Should we be worried? I suspect not at the moment – Russia has enough problems trying to protect itself from Ukranian drones, which are increasingly effective. However we should not be complacent – the UK is also allowing US Military to use airfileds in the UK on bombing missions to Iran. So a double threat and Trump is capable of not passing on intelligence via NATO.

In the USA Meta are defending a case brought by 29 states that allege that Facebook and Instagram collected data on children under the age of 13. The case will obviously go to the Supreme Court and the predicted fine is likely to be in the region of $200 billion if Meata are found guilty. The real question should be why is it that they can afford a fine even 3x as big!

North Sea gas supplies will run low in 10 years a report states. So we need to to move quicker on alternatives. It would seem that we have the capability to prove electricity from alternative sources to fill the gap, but not the storeage capacity – yet. I suspect that I could be just about self sufficient in energy with decent battery storage.

We had some rain, which I would classify as Goldilocks Rain! Not too heavy, not too light, just right. Enough to water the garden, but not much runoff – except on the roads! A report states that some of our ancient oak trees over 9m in circumference maybe at peril – just water them then! There are only 114 in England and 98 in the rest of Europe (including Scotland and Wales). An oak tree supports over 250 species of insects.

Meanwhile a study of children in Ulez areas has shown a significant improvement in lung recovery and basically death – So well done Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and I hope that those who took action against the ULEZ are suitably ostrasized by their communities.

Totally lost the plot; He has threstened to bomb the shit out of Oman ‘if they get in his way!” whatever that means; he has reduced collaboration in a military exercise with Soth Korea because he likes the President of totalitarian North Korea (my very good friend); He has said that sailors complaining about conditions on USS Abraham `Lincoln, “have not had long enough at sea”; whilst equipping ICE operatives with gloves that deliver an electric shock; whilst appointing Kennedy to be Head of Health; whilst obsessing about vanity projects in Washington. Our own looney duo. Jenprick and NotNice said we should forget about climate change and just enjoy the warm weather as it definitely is not caused by human activity and approximately just under 30% of voters will still vote for the wankers!.

I just had a free eye test (NHS) and despite being bored silly and not reading the bottom line, my glasses prescription is the same – although the optician was fascinated by my Christmas condition (like a snow dome). Tens of thousands of non-racists attended a vigil for Jason Arday who was found dead after a relentless hate campaign by the shit press.

The UK water regulator Ofwat is considering rule changes to allow water companies to trial “surge pricing” and seasonal tariffs during droughts, charging higher rates in summer or when usage passes high thresholds to curb demand. Burnham said he will stop this. OFWAT should be renamed OFRIP – not content with letting the water companies may executives and shareholders money taken from customers, they have also accrued vast debts – nationalise with no compensation – NOW!

We had a little wetness this morning, which may keep my neighbours at bay. More overnight and tomorrow hopefully. I did not realise that we were not under a hosepipe ban – Wessex Water do the sewage, but Bristol Water provide the cool stuff. I think I may need to double my present water butt capacity to 700ltrs,

I can always tell when there is no real news – every paper leads with a different story dominating the front page. The filth are trawling around to find someone to encourage their readers to hate – rather pathetically. It would be nice if, on days with no real news they published good news stories or optimistic ones. They even manage to report heat waves without mentioning climate change!

So, I have put the suppliments in the papers at the shop, done the washing and put it out, watered the tomatoes and chilli, mints, herbs and hanging baskets should be ok for now. I have filled a water butt in case we have a hosepipe ban so 250ltrs should see me through the next heat wave – 31C next week forecast. 19 counties recorded no rain in July. so far we have had 33 days of temperatures above 30C, the record of 34 is likely to be broken this week – and still the RW wankers will call for more drilling in the waters around the UK.

Has the word empathy been replaced in many areas by woke and used therefore as an insult. Some residents in Thetford are proving to be thugs and layabouts!

But I have some questions, the paper last week said that 49 people who had been returned to France under aa government scheme for illegal immigrants, had reappeared in the UK – at a cost of £1000 per person per boat, or £4000per lorry journey, where do they get the money? Presumably someone is paying them? If I could sell everything I own(of value) I doubt I would raise more than £1000 – apart from the house! Setting up a legal route would seem urgent, and then anyone in a small boat could be returned, not necessarily to France, but to their country of origin, legal routes for actual asylum seekers would ensure the victims and poor could get through – and be provided with accommodation – Kemi Badenoch please note. Why do the RWPress refer to her as ‘Kemi’ as a term of endearment, whilst refering to Burnham rather than ‘Andy’?

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!

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?