sadoldgit

Going back eleven years and there are some really embarrassing posts from some current posters there. Egg comes out with credit but a few others should hold their heads in shame.

Watching the horrific news reports over the weekend, Mrs SOG asked me, “Who are the baddies in this?”. All I could think of as a reply is that both are. Starmer made the point that it has wrecked any chance of peace in the forceable future. If it is true that Iran are behind this as a part of derailing the efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia then it has worked at the expense of the lives hundreds of innocent civilians. I can’t agree more, we should keep well out of it both politically and militarily.

I have spent a couple of hours this morning clearing up the glass and debris from a collision at our crossroads last night. It is a dangerous junction on a blind bend and accidents happen frequently. There will be a fatality at some point and that is the reason that people like me pick up clipboards and run speed checks, so that people like Duckhunter, who has had a dig at us, can get from A to B more safely. We have been asking for a mini roundabout for some time but the council won’t do anything about speed calming measures until people die. We did a speed survey as part of a wider survey amongst the villages about spending parish council funds on an electric speed sign which flashes up your speed as you approach it. We bought the sign and it does help slow traffic down through the village, but we could only afford 1 so have to rotate it around the 4 approach roads, which isn’t ideal. A 20 mph limit would certainly help here but as has been said, it won’t stop the selfish drivers who think speed limits do not apply to them. At least it is raising the issue of road safety in residential areas and anything that saves lives and serious injuries has to be a good thing, doesn’t it?

There were reports recently of a major peace deal in the offing but that seems to be have been wide of the mark. It is only going to escalate now. Grim news.

If you bothered to listen the people who understand the wider implications of scrapping it now taking a different view is not childish at all, in fact it being very mature. There is clearly not right or wrong. A decision was made to build it and that has been supported by both main parties over the years. Given that so much depends on the project being completed (go and look at all of the multiple spin off benefits if you haven’t already) and you will see that it is not unreasonable for people to take a contrary view to Sunak (who has not had the decency to take the argument to the House before telling us this is what is happening). Personally I don’t give a stuff about HS2, but given that Starmer has no idea how much extra it would cost to resurrect the project it would be incredibly foolish to state categorically that he would do so now. As it is he has left the door open. A very mature thing to do in the circumstances and probably the only thing he could reasonably do.

But he didn’t say that he wouldn’t reverse it. Why don’t you listen? He said he couldn’t commit to it which is a completely different thing. As we speak contracts are being terminated and the previously acquired land being put up for sale. It isn’t as easy as saying yes we will do it. You keep talking about others being confused but you are the one who doesn’t seem to have a grasp on what is going on. Show us the quote where Starmer says he won’t fund it. What he said was that Sunak has taken a “wrecking ball” yo the project which means that there won’t be a project left to revive once he gets into Downing Street!

I think they have changed that decision now and it will eventually use Euston. Correction - it will only go to Euston if the vast majority of the cost is provided by private funding 🙄 Three reasons why this country has gone down the pan:- Margaret Thatcher, Nigel Farage & Boris Johnson. Lord Duckhunter has backed all three.

This is the problem though Weston, you don’t think. If you did you wouldn’t respond with so much drivel. It sounds like Sunak has nicked Labour’s plan to bring in an anti smoking policy. Just heard Penny Mordaunt’s speech from the conference. For someone trying to position herself as less barking mad than the rest of her colleagues she took a massive step backwards. Maybe all that sword bearing at the coronation has addled her brain? What is is with all the stand up and fight rhetoric? (Wrong thread 😩)

Indeed. The point was made that if they had started in Manchester they wouldn’t now be cancelling the Birmingham to London section. I remember when the plan was launched the focus was on the time shaved from travel to and from London but as we are hearing now, the benefits would have been widespread. https://midlandsengine.org/news-events/true-benefits-of-hs2-revealed/ Sunak is desperate to find something to fight a campaign on. The non existent war against the motorists, supposed “wokery”, the supposed threat to us all from trans people, the supposed hurricane of migrants (are they now going to be trafficked across the Channel by huge wind machines?), smoking (is that really what we all worry about all day?). He can’t fight on the major issues of the day because he and his Party are either responsible for them or have been mismanaging them for years. A commentator said yesterday that he is desperately playing the “looking at the future” card because he knows that the opposition is going after him on the mishandling of the past. Why on earth would you trust the Tories with another 5 years (although some will 🙄) after the clusterfuck of the last 13 years? That is their best shot! The timing of the Partygate film was excellent but his defence of the indefensible will be that he is focussed on the future. I don’t think many will forget that he was also hit with a fine, though not in the thousands like many of us normal people. Nor will forget the ridiculous Eat Out To Help Out campaign that costs millions and helped spread the virus further or that he was a senior part of one of the most incompetent governments in history. If Starmer can keep a lid on his party’s own internal divisions and present a stable and competent alternative he should be on for a landslide next year. We should also see a reemergence of the LibDems as a political force at the expense of some of these horrendous people in what have been safe Tory seats. The Tories look set to implode as the incompetent but almost presentable right faction fight the crazy as a box of frogs far right faction for control of the party. Given that Sunak’s pledge about bringing back integrity to his Party lasted about 30 seconds and that his colleagues have no problem using gutter tactics on a Trumpian level, it looks like it could be the dirtiest campaign on record this side of the Atlantic. If Sunak had a shred of decency he would go to the country now so we have a year less of this suffering. Given that he was beaten by a colleague who didn’t last as long as a lettuce though he will cling on as long as possible in the vain hope that something will happen to help bail him out of a hopeless position.

Even you should understand that it is not illegal to seek asylum when migrants arrive. They only become “illegal” if they don’t seek asylum and disappear. Many of them have to cross the channel as there are so few “legal” routes open to them. Sunak also talked about Starmer’s alleged “legal” migration numbers which he poured scorn on. Show me the bit in his speech where he said he welcomes migrants (even though we need them). You know, like his parents. His voice irritates me too. He sounds like a effete vicar talking to an ever dwindling and disinterested congregation. Even Mad Liz managed to drum up more enthusiasm from her audience, although granted, they are all crazy as a box of frogs.

Things are getting more bizarre today. Mrs Sunak is being used as the warm up act for her husband’s conference speech and in doing so references how his migrant parents came here and built a successful life. Isn’t that an example of multiculturalism working and of migrants being a good thing? Someone should have told Braverman before her speech.

The number of outright lies is so depressing. What is even more depressing is that people still defend these people and vote for them. When you use your major conference to say that you know what a woman is you know they are scraping the bottom of the barrel (although it will appeal to the hard of thinking). We also have the Tory candidate for London mayor, Susan Hall, trying to tell us that the Jewish community feel threatened by Sadiq Khan. Even when several high profile Jewish community leaders come out and say that is not true, she doubles down on her statement. For those who pretend that this Tory Party isn’t lurching to the right, you only have to look at Patel and Farage (yes, the man wearing Union Jack socks at the Tory Conference) dancing together or listen to Patel bigging up GB News (which is not a news service, it is a campaigning mouthpiece for the far right). If you want some idea of what has happened to the Conservative Party, perhaps read Rory Stewart’s new book. When the Tories get kicked out at the next election, watch them turn even further right as the few moderates left will disappear. Jenrick now saying we need to have more babies. Not so long ago we were told not to have babies if we couldn’t afford them. Isn’t the argument about the migrants that we can’t take so many because we are full up as a country? If childcare is already a problem for many how is going to have more babies going to work? It almost as if they have completely run out of ideas and are just plucking stuff out of thin air to make it look like they haven’t.

Will, are you an incel by any chance? Go do some research about how vulnerable many women feel when they are around men they don’t know, and some they do. Go look at the figures for rape and sexual assault. Go look at the figures for domestic abuse. It is quite possible to be wary of the threat they carry whilst not hating the whole gender. Did she mention that she wouldn’t shag anyone in the panel during her interview? No of course not. Your efforts to try and pretend that somehow his comments were okay because you think hers were not haven’t worked mate. Whatever her views on men, during the interview it seemed to me that she was just trying to balance up the discussion. Are men’s mental health issues really more of a concern than women’s to the extent that they should have their own minister? Of course not. She also made the point that women’s suicide rates would be much higher but they have a lower success rate. Does that make their issues less of a concern? Fox’s comments were indefensible and embarrassing by well done for trying. He and the people who support him are one of the reasons who woman have problems with men.

I watched the interview and didn’t see her laugh at male suicide rates. I also don’t think that stating that there should be a minister for mental health (all sexes) instead of a minister for men makes you a man hater. Fighting for women’s rights does not make you are man hater. So no, not really a tough one at all. If Fox had issues with anything she had to say about the issues being discussed then he should address those issues, not focus on her sexual attractiveness or otherwise. Incredible that we are still wandering into the “9 Pinter” territory in 2023.

Why doesn’t it surprise me that you have a problem with people who don’t want themselves or others, including children, run over by people going about their daily lives by breaking the speed limit. Actually it does surprise me given the fuss you made about Ray Wilkins and his drink driving issue. Very selective about which laws you think it is okay to break and which ones it is not okay to break. Very Farage of you Duckie. I find it incredibly sad that grown men with children and grand children think it is perfectly okay to break the speed limit in residential areas. [For the two “confused” posters - emojis below - I am referring to Duckie’s comments about about the speed check we did in our village and those who supported his comments]

There have been discussions about bringing in 20mph limits around schools for years. The likelihood of dying or serious injuries being hit by a car at 20mph is significantly reduced and the extra braking distance helps to avoid the possibility of a collision in the first place. Unfortunately a great many people already drive over 30mph in 30mph zones anyway. We carried out a speed check on cars travelling through our village a couple of years ago and the average was around 35mph. If it helps bring the average speed down even if it doesn’t achieve 20mph it will still help. I can’t see it happening though. Sunak seems to think that people care more about the supposed “war on motorists”, ULEZ and canning HS2 than they do about the cost of living crisis, the winter fuel bills, high mortgages, crumbling schools and the state of the NHS. You can expect him to make a big deal about scraping plans for 20mph zones as part of his cunning plan to deflect from the mess his party have already made of the country.

Another misleading bit of red meat thrown out by Braverman to whip the gammons into a frenzy shown to be a lie. I’m sure Batman must be busy otherwise he would have posted this earlier. 🤔 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/28/braverman-ethnicity-child-grooming-gangs-false-mail-on-sunday

Don’t worry, they are only going to be worn in the warm up. No doubt some will still complain that it will detract from our focus on the match in some way though 🙄

Nothing wrong with campaigning for equality, unless you don’t agree with it of course. It really doesn’t matter what the shirt looks like, the whole point is to raise the issue and get people talking about it, which this is doing.

My point is that this is not an isolated issue. We have senior government officials who think it is perfectly ok to lie and spout racist rhetoric. We have large parts of our media which support these lies and the racist rhetoric. The Sun used to be the low bench mark but it has been super ceded by the Mail, Express and Telegraph who are happy to trot out and support this rubbish daily. Sexual offences are through the roof and not being prosecuted. Hate crimes are climbing. We are being bombarded with a view that we should be scornful of people who are fleeing persecution but feel sorry for others who can afford to send their children to public school and are being asked to pay more. There are more and more reports of the country being “broken” so sticking your head in the sand and pretending that everyting is fine (when you are ok yourself, so why worry?) seems a bit lame to be honest. It’s a bit hard to get excited about news stories of a nice sunny day in September or looking at pictures of baby bunnies when the leader of a party who will contest the next election denigrates a women by claiming on a national news programme that no one would shag her (and although few people would have seen the original interview but it is main news now). When yet another male celebrity is called out for sexual assault. When our Home Secretary makes official speeches that most people would describe as racist in nature if made by a person with white skin. When one of the main high profile projects in levelling up is now in doubt. When young people cannot afford housing and the rental sector cannot cope with the numbers. Strikes are continuing to cripple the country. The NHS has a record waiting list and people are finding it hard to get to see a doctor in the first place. Another teenager has just been stabbed to death this morning. The rivers and seas around the coast are still being polluted with effluent. Our government is rowing back on green issues because they think there are votes in it for them. I could go on with hard evidence that the country is going down the pan but I am now going to look at a picture of a puppy instead and apparently then all will be well 😎

GB News and Laurence Fox sink to a new low. https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/breaking-gb-news-issues-urgent-31036747.amp What is happening to this country? Rupert Murdoch might be standing down from his position as chief purveyor of crap to the public but his legacy lives on.

The dreadful woman has completely managed to trash the success of multiculturalism that led to her, the daughter of immigrants, rising to a senior cabinet position and serving a Prime Minister who is also the benefactor from immigration. She also managed to repeat the lie that asylum seekers have to seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive at. No they do not and have not had to following the Refugee Convention in 1951. No doubt this is a grandstanding stunt aimed at currying favour with the gammons ahead of a leadership bid when Sunak gets kicked out.

I think that he was expressing a little annoyance. Anyway, the little annoyance I have today is the right wing media kicking off about Labour’s plan to apply 20% vat to private school fees. Don’t they tell us if you can’t afford children, don’t have them? Perhaps they should extend that argument to if you can’t afford to send your children to private school, then don’t?* *Unashamedly pinched from the James O’Brien LBC show this morning.

I would imagine it is to try and give justice to the parents and family of the child. If I was one of the parents of the babies that there was no verdict given, I would feel let down by the process. They wouldn’t bring another prosecution if they didn’t think that there was a reasonable chance of a verdict.

That’s the thing though egg, these types of allegations play out through social media all of the time. There were Phillip Schofield stories flying about on social media long before the news broke in the main stream. There is a social media site, not Mumsnet, mainly populated by women that carries loads of stories about celebs, politicians, sports stars, influencers etc daily. The current threads about Brand would make your toes curl. How much of it is true I have no idea but there are people there claiming to have sex with him or friends of people who have had sex with him washing their dirty linen in public. There was a lot of rumours about Dan Wooten behaviour on there months before the news broke in the mainstream. Some of this stuff goes back years. I’m amazed that the place hasn’t been sued out of existence given some of the stuff they publish from people. As for not being a sex addict, no me neither, which is just as well as I wouldn’t be able to do much about it!