Brexit, for once some facts.

[flecc]

The Mouse That Roared (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But Luxembourg would actually make money of it, as they have out of the EU for decades.

I think Zlatan would love to see Field Marshal Jean-Claude Juncker in command of an EU army. He'd confuse any enemy.
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[guerney]

My house energy supplier, Avro, have because insolvent this afternoon. This is a shame because they were efficient and easy to deal with. It’s the forth time this has happened to me now.

I was hoping that Symbio would collapse so that I could move without penalty. There’s still time yet.

What a shambles this country is.

I've just switched from British Gas to Ebico supplied and administered by Octopus Energy, who claim they're safe:

Which energy suppliers are going bust? (2022) | UK Energy Reviews

With energy prices rising, we look in this post at which energy suppliers are going bust and who has been in trouble with Ofgem.

www.energy-review.co.uk

Time I asked for my gas to be disconnected - everything is electric in my home, it's daft paying £200 a year standing charge, plus it's a bit more green. Octopus disconnect for free.

 

[flecc]

What a shambles this country is.

It certainly is, nothing works properly any more.

Remember when we all used to receive the post in the morning, sometimes before even leaving for work?

Now we have no idea when or even if it will arrive. The Post Office van for this area has just arrived at 6.50 pm and a few minutes ago the postie set out with the first bundle of sorted envelopes in his hand for one block. He has some 99 properties in 7 terraced blocks to deliver to in this section of the estate alone, before driving on to successive further sections. He'll be lucky to finish by 9pm.
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[guerney]

It certainly is, nothing works properly any more.

Remember when we all used to receive the post in the morning, sometimes before even leaving for work?

Now we have no idea when or even if it will arrive. The Post Office van for this area has just arrived at 6.50 pm and a few minutes ago the postie set out with the first bundle of sorted envelopes in his hand for one block. He has some 99 properties in 7 terraced blocks to deliver to in this section of the estate alone, before driving on to successive further sections. He'll be lucky to finish by 9pm.
.

My postie blames online ordering, while delivering my online ordered items...

 

[Zlatan]

pure speculation. Macron did not make any such suggestion.
He wants to appear tough because French presidential elections start April 22. Not long to go.
But giving up the UNSC seat? not for a very long time.

Totally agreed around his recent posturing, only normal with elections coming up.

Wether he said it or not isn't that important, it was first muted by Merkel for him to do so a few years ago but any complaints.. Take up with Express and Telegraph.. Neither of whom seem to me to have imagination to come up with it, so where rumour originated, who knows.
Simple fact is, EU with its utter lack of any military, except that of individual countries, is loosing what little political influence it has. Hence Aukus and France/Macron over reaction. Its dawned on entire EU there is a missing component... And missing that component puts them at beck and call of US... Imagine situation Europe would find itself in if US suddenly threatened to pull out of NATO. France threatens and World thinks... Big deal. And to put milataries in perspective. China is building 5 times the naval power per year that France currently has.
Come on Woosh, I know you are an avid Francophile and EU supporter but there has been a massive hole allowed to develop within EU.. 40 years after it sprang into existence and the entire defence of Europe and all its allies is firmly with US... Its crazy.
The EU should have been equal competitors with US for Australia to feel more secure when aligned with either. As it is there really is no competition and even less so when geography is taken into account. Choosing between France and US to help security is a fore drawn conclusion when France's own security is dependant on US... Then surprise when Australia chose US, even though in its own way France has already done so.

(US defence budget 750 billion dollars. France 58 billion... - just infront of UK)
Our whole existence is dependant on US. Time we woke upto the fact and changed things.
How can France criticise Australia for choosing US when it's own defence relies on US??? Look at relative contributions to NATO.

 

[guerney]

An EU army would certainly be a boon for EU weapons manufacturers, as it is for the US and UK's... war is good for business.

 

[Zlatan]

An EU army would certainly be a boon for EU weapons manufacturers, as it is for the US and UK's... war is good for business.

It would, NATO shop in US.

 

[Zlatan]

If sulking were an Olympic sport, France would win gold every time

The world tilts on an Anglophone axis and France simply can't bear it

www.telegraph.co.uk

I thought Woosh and Danidl would like this..

 

[Danidl]

If sulking were an Olympic sport, France would win gold every time

The world tilts on an Anglophone axis and France simply can't bear it

www.telegraph.co.uk

I thought Woosh and Danidl would like this..

I don't take the Telegraph.. and cannot download anything from it.

 

[Zlatan]

I don't take the Telegraph.. and cannot download anything from it.

The headline says it all. No real content.

 

[guerney]

The UN is rather out of date, hamstrung in it's peacekeeping efforts by Russia and China in particular - over time, we may see a new UN in all but name with the UK, EU and US armies aggregating. Time to think and visit Ladbrokes again...

 

[jonathan.agnew]

Still top man for humour. " Quasi Coathanger"
Classic, well done my friend!

Preferred the breastfeeding a goat bit myself. There, in a nutshell, is a business plan for an eco industry. Buxom blonde (starkers of course) breastfeeding myopic goat under slogan 'isnt it time we give something back?'. You'll have 15 million subscribers on YouTube in a week.

 

[Zlatan]

Preferred the breastfeeding a goat bit myself. There, in a nutshell, is a business plan for an eco industry. Buxom blonde (starkers of course) breastfeeding myopic goat under slogan 'isnt it time we give something back?'. You'll have 15 million subscribers on YouTube in a week.

I used to enjoy a spliff in my younger days, frees ones imagination.

 

[guerney]

Preferred the breastfeeding a goat bit myself. There, in a nutshell, is a business plan for an eco industry. Buxom blonde (starkers of course) breastfeeding myopic goat under slogan 'isnt it time we give something back?'. You'll have 15 million subscribers on YouTube in a week.

I'd like to see the ad promoting continued carbon positive climate change - several buxom blondes bouncing and bobbing about and up and down starkers dancing in a perspex cube at a nightclub while the air is gradually changed with increased carbon dioxide and decreased oxygen, gradually asphyxiated to death:

 

[Woosh]

How can France criticise Australia for choosing US when it's own defence relies on US??? Look at relative contributions to NATO.

I think you confuse several things.
It's about going back on a deal that has been signed by a previous government.
If Australia simply buys more of US technology, Macron would have nothing to say.
It's like BJ and the NI protocol.

 

[oyster]

It certainly is, nothing works properly any more.

Remember when we all used to receive the post in the morning, sometimes before even leaving for work?

Now we have no idea when or even if it will arrive. The Post Office van for this area has just arrived at 6.50 pm and a few minutes ago the postie set out with the first bundle of sorted envelopes in his hand for one block. He has some 99 properties in 7 terraced blocks to deliver to in this section of the estate alone, before driving on to successive further sections. He'll be lucky to finish by 9pm.
.

Round here, they are usually pretty good - helps being near a depot.

But I keep reading or listening to Victorian/Edwardian books - Wilkie Collins, Conan Doyle, etc. - and the assumption that letters are delivered same or next day, with multiple daily deliveries, occurs throughout, and not just in big cities.

However, the local depot has started opening on Sundays - consequently providing Sunday deliveries. Not sure whether that was primarily for Covid tests, Amazon, or whatever else.

 

[guerney]

Jesus H. Christ! This thread is like the world's longest pub argument

 

[oyster]

Test and Trace and Trace

Someone I know has been having serious hospital treatment. Due to go in again the other day, he had another Covid-19 test.

Two or three days later, he went in and had the treatment, then came home.

The day after, he got a call from T&T saying his Covid-19 test had been positive.

He was very worried that we could have picked it up from him, so we went to get some lateral flow tests largely for his reassurance. (More concerned for us than for himself!)

Eventually, talked to his local support nurse, the wonderful Trace who, after some detective work trying to find out what had actually happened, explained:

• The Covid-19 test was not positive – it was indeterminate.
• The result was available the day before he went back to hospital, but no-one told him, and the hospital treated him as if it had been negative.
• T&T got it completely wrong by telling him he was positive. By telling him two days after the indeterminate result. Too late to stop him going to hospital. And, had it actually been positive, they should have advised testing of all contacts (which by then included transport and staff at hospital and the district nurse who gives him an injection every day as well as us).

 

[oyster]

OG! Calling OG!!

The smart toilet era is here! Are you ready to share your analprint with big tech?
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/23/the-smart-toilet-era-is-here-are-you-ready-to-share-your-analprint-with-big-tech

 

[flecc]

the assumption that letters are delivered same or next day, with multiple daily deliveries, occurs throughout, and not just in big cities.

No assumption, almost all letters were delivered next day thoughout much of my life and always early in the day. Splitting the post into first and second class is a relatively recent cop out. And we knew who our postman was. Now it seems to be someone different much of the time as if some sort of shift rotation.

The same day and multiple deliveries a day that you mention to my knowledge only ever occurred in busy commercial areas like the City of London.
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