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Thread | Grealish to Everton means Dibling stays?
at 10:26 11 Aug 2025
The BBC reports that Grealish is going to Everton on loan.
Physical similarities aside, Grealish and Dibling are similar players with perhaps Dibling being a bit quicker and more inclined to actually beat a defender just the once.
Does that mean Everton's interest in signing Dibling this season at least has cooled a bit? |
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Thread | Survey results as reported in the Times
at 13:28 6 Aug 2025
Apparently some 4% of immigrants are here "illegally" or have arrived by informal means (a boat across the channel).
Apparently some 47% of voters think that illegal immigrants outnumber those encouraged to come here to contribute to our society and coffers.
Apparently this rises to over 70% amongst those voters who would support Reform or have sympathies with organisations designated as being on the far right.
A worrying demonstration of the power of those with a voice to distort and corrupt.
The selective messages being delivered by all politicians in which facts are ignored or abused or quoted out of context is leading to a situation in which it's becoming not a question of what to believe but rather a choice to disbelieve everything we are told.
If we then have a situation in which there are no hard facts to rely upon, the ground is ripe for any old nonsense to be planted and grow into today's chosen conspiracy.
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Thread | Do you need an education to govern the country?
at 10:25 4 Aug 2025
I read an interesting article over the weekend.
This article claimed that over 70% of those supporting Reform have been educated to GCSE level or below. (I'm assuming "below" means having failed GCSE's or perhaps left school before taking exams).
The article suggested that those with a lower educational attainment were more likely to believe the unsupported word of Farage and his clowns and more likely to be stirred to action by his (often) false claims.*
In your experience is there a link between low educational attainment and taking what might be called an extreme position on political issues?
*As an example, this weekend Farage claimed that 1 in 3 Londoners have been a victim of phone theft. It would seem to a fact that with around 80,000 thefts in London per year, the real rate is about 1 in 112. |
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Thread | Should the UK adopt the Greek policy on immigrants?
at 16:31 31 Jul 2025
Greece has recently appointed a new immigration minister. He admits he is conservative in outlook and in any balance to be struck between looking after the interests of the Greek population and immigrants, he will favour the former.
This week Greece has unilaterally suspended their obligations under EU and global Human Rights legislation and has announced that for the next three months at least, no immigrant landing on their shores will be permitted to apply for asylum.
Whether that will slow or stop the flow of people to them from African and other places, remains to be seen.
One reason given for this new policy is a need to protect the Greek economy during the summer tourist season. Given that most illegal immigrants to Greece are automatically sent to holding "camps" (prisons), I'm not sure that this is a valid reason.
He also suggests that he will deport - without appeal - immigrants arriving by illegal means back to their country of nationality (risking their being killed or imprisoned) or failing that the country they sailed to Greece from (risking their being killed or imprisoned).
is this a model for the UK?
Or do our humanitarian principles require us to at least follow the lawful processes we have? |
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Thread | Another con man selling a "debt free" life
at 10:51 31 Jul 2025
A new person has entered the market place selling a means to exist debt free in the UK, even if you signed a legally binding document.
His identity is protected but he runs a website called Debt-Free.
The underlying entity seems to be a LLC (Limited Liability Company) based in Wyoming USA.
The underlying position he uses to claim you can legally challenge any debt is that the entire world's banking system is just an illegal Ponzi scheme with no legal or constitutional basis and can therefore be ignored with impunity.
This is straight out of the sovereign citizen playbook. There are literally hundreds of cases heard by the US Courts which say that the ideas and "magic words" used by those running with this theory have no legal validity or credence.
It would appear that they are trying to sell the same nonsense in the UK. And I mean "sell". The costs can be a decent percentage of the debt - which will remain in place even if you use the magic words you have paid for.
I appreciate that being in debt is very stressful (been there - done that) and that in desperation you may be willing to try anything. But please don't get sucked into wasting money with this outfit.
If you are in debt and struggle, first speak to the lender/company you owe. You will find that they are often sympathetic and the better ones will have plans available. If that is exhausted go to Citizen Advice or Step Change - they are very helpful. If this is exhausted, speak with an insolvency specialist. There are many stages between being solvent and bankrupt and sese, like a debt relief order can be useful.
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Thread | RM at it again
at 09:33 31 Jul 2025
Well, what a surprise!
The reports of the Rangers games against the Greek side (I'll not embarrass myself trying to spell it) say "good win, but rangers were lucky as they gave the ball away too cheaply".
RM saying, "the more time I have on the training ground, the better we will be".
I seem to recall something very similar when he used us to experiment. I wonder how that went?
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Thread | Good man - poor leader vs bad man - allegedly good leader
at 10:15 30 Jul 2025
There is a thread on Linkedin which compares Starmer and Trump.
The gist is that Trump is leading the USA into a golden era of prosperity and freedom and is therefore a good leader whereas Starmer is overseeing a declining economy, riots on the streets and has no grip on immigration (which actually is a minor issue but one that is weaponised by people on the far right).
The conclusion is that Trump is a "better" leader and that the UK would be lucky to have somebody of equal standing.
The thread ignores the numerous convictions (34) Trump has, his bankruptcies, his use of his office to enrich himself and various other offences of greater or lesser weight. In short all those elements that make Trump a reprehensible human being are ignored because he is apparently ushering in this period of prosperity in the USA.
(It ignores the fact that the last bill he signed will increase the US national debt by trillions of dollars and give tax breaks to the rich whilst withdrawing basic medical care for the poor.)
Starmer may be boring. He may even by politically inept, weakened by divisions in his own party and too heavily reliant on people he has appointed and who frankly need to be moved on soon (Reeves). I think however nobody is accusing him of blatant corruption or sexual offences or stealing money.
So, would you rather have a leader who is effective (at least for the moment - in the long term I think not) but is very visibly flawed as a human or one who is less obviously flawed but perhaps because of that is not prepared to ignore the law or basic human rights? |
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Thread | Religion and the far right
at 14:47 28 Jul 2025
Our news threads are filled with the usual summer madness in the UK of young, lagered up men being told a lie, choosing to believe it and subsequently throwing insults and eventually bricks and worse at anybody who doesn't look like them.
The far right is becoming more mainstream and we se them weaponising fear and making claims that our country (of 70 million) is being "invaded" by a few thousand people arriving here illegally. (If a poor person arrives this way, he/she is illegal. If a rich person arrives and takes years to "clarify" their status, he/she is an "investor". )
More recently I've seen more posts linking being a "christian" to being a "patriot" and that "christians" have a duty - almost a religious duty - to be passing the bricks to those stupid enough to believe the sort of racist and xenophobic nonsense being spouted.
I am not a religious person. I have no issues with those who chose to believe, but I don't. I do however see this linking of the christian culture with what might loosely be called a doctrine in which Caucasian people are seen as in some manner superior to other races or entitled to something just because of accident of birth, as troubling.
I get that this is straight out of the right wing playbook, i.e. create a sense of jeopardy in certain groups to bring them alongside, but from what I understand of christian philosophy, its about tolerance, love they neighbour, turn the other cheek, be a good Samaritan. It's not about hate other people who have less than we do or choose a different set of rules to live by.
(For what it's worth my understanding of other religions is that they have similar ideas but we know that some will chose to interpret the rules in very different ways). |
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Thread | Trump accuses former presidents of being "traitors"
at 10:49 24 Jul 2025
The orange man baby is under some serious pressure in the US. Aside from the failure of his tariff plan to bring in "billions of dollars a month; his obvious cognitive decline (he recently praised a visit to the WH by the Pihillipine president Marcos - who has been dead for a few decades; his bombing of Iran and ignoring of Israeli treatment of Gaza, he has a number of personal issues.
The Epstien connection refuses to go away. he has already back tracked and U turned more on this than anything else but now claims that mention of his name in various documents and his existence in various photos with the child rapist, are all part of a conspiracy by Barack Obama. He is calling for the arrest of the former POTUS.
Sadly his cultists in power such a Pam Bondi as so brainwashed that they might do this.
This is a dangerous path.
Trump is well on his way to being a despot. |
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Thread | Beware of this scammer and criminal - Iain Clifford Stamp, aka Iain Clifford
at 10:11 21 Jul 2025
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-16-STAMP-Iain-Cliffo
Iain Stamp tuns a "business" which apparently nets him £500k a month largely from those driven to desperation over debt and other liabilities.
The "solution" offered by Stamp and his cronies is that all law, UK law in particular, is invalid and does not apply to those who decide that that the name on their birth certificate actually relates to somebody else because of the way it is presented.
The theory goes much deeper and is not far from the sovereign citizen type arguments.
The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has been investigating Stamp. They now have a restraining order as well as asset seizure orders against him. They believe that Stamp is in Bali and having missed two Court appearance may have selected that place to live int he absence of an extradition treaty.
The judgement is clear that the arguments used by Stamp and sold to his victims is entirely spurious and unlawful.
(Unless of course you believe that you are not subject to or protected by the UK legal system).
This man trades on desperation and misery and hopefully he will serve some prison time in due course but for now, please be warned. |
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Thread | Measles and vaccination
at 09:24 21 Jul 2025
Last year Canada suffered a measles outbreak sufficient to place it into the top ten countries for such outbreaks.
The source of the outbreak was traced to a single individual who attended a Mennonite event. The Mennonite community is one which embraces a philosophy in which some aspects of modern life and science are given up in favour of a more simple regimen.
If we accept that members of such a community are intelligent and aware that a reduced use of vaccines exposes them and their children to otherwise preventable diseases (some of which are very dangerous), then are members of the wider community equally able to refuse to be in shared spaces with the unvaccinated ?
The measles vaccines have been around since the early 1960's. Before the vaccine became a mass exercise, it's estimated that some 2 million people - mainly children - dies each year from measles. There ahs been a slight uptick in recorded cases in recent year as vaccine hesitancy spreads.
Herd immunity from measles requires a vaccine take up of around 95% of the population. Canada and the UK (and the US) fall short of that.
Given the proven safety record of measles (I'm not saying that in some very rare cases the vaccine has not had side effects and I'm not getting into the nonsense around the MMR version) is there a case for legislating here to ensure the majority of the population is protected? |
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Thread | Will I go to a game this season?
at 12:50 17 Jul 2025
I have been a ST holder at The Dell and SMS but gave them up for good about four seasons ago.
Aside from being disillusioned about football in general - the PL in particular - and the constant money grabbing tactics of the authorities and the club, I was thoroughly fed up with either walking from the station to the ground (and back) and fighting my way onto a train with a lot of away fans or sitting in a traffic jam on the Avenue for 45 minutes.
I became a member instead when the game times started being messed around for TV and the club was perfectly happy to please the TV people and ignore the fans.
Last season was a bad one. No plan, a stubborn manager, inadequate playing squad, but the above issues continuing.
I attended my first game in 1962. I like to think that I've been a loyal fan. I do however feel somewhat betrayed by the club in recent years as fans and their wishes are relegated to the lowest priority.
My present position is that unless I can see signs of there actually being a plan from the ownership and management that is reflected in the playing squad, then I'm not going to acquire a ticket for a 3pm Saturday match which may be changed to 8pm Monday without much notice.
I feel that I've made a contribution to the club over the years and now I need to see some effort from them before I pay them more money. |
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Thread | Best album?
at 12:00 17 Jul 2025
1. You own (even if it's in the loft)
2. Of the 1970's, 1980's etc
3. You have in more than one format, i.e. vinyl, tape, CD, downloaded, vinyl on re-release |
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Thread | Would you support a wealth tax?
at 12:07 14 Jul 2025
The right wing press is working itself up into a lather about the prospect of a wealth tax being introduced.
For example, one suggestion is an annual 2% tax on all "wealth" over £10m.
I suspect that number is chosen because anybody with a decent house in London may be well on the way to that figure and as such it gets the readers excited and engaged - clickbait.
There are then various estimates of how much a wealth tax would raise with anything from £2bn a year to more than £20bn. The numbers are all over the place and tainted with political bias to make any objective sense.
Most European countries have tried a wealth tax in the past and so far as I can see all but two of them have retreated from such a charge. The exceptions are Switzerland and Norway, with the latter coming under pressure to remove the charge on the grounds of cost vs income.
Switzerland makes it work but also has a range of incentives such as being able to pay a flat rate if you are in certain bands of wealth. It also allows some wealth to be excluded, such as private houses used as homes. Switzerland tax reporting is also done quarterly if your income/wealth is over certain limits, via the internet, processed quickly and appeals are only allowed in limited situations and are expensive.
France, Germany and Italy have all had wealth taxes in the past, now dropped as it "encouraged avoidance" and also led to an exodus of wealth from the country.
Good ides - bad politics or good politics - bad idea? |
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Thread | More light hearted music stuff
at 11:45 14 Jul 2025
Following on from first record etc.
1. What was the last song/music you deliberately listened to (not just played on the radio, etc by chance)?
2. Have you ever turned the radio/smart speaker off or changed channel if a particular song came on?
3. What song means most to you at an emotional level?
4. If I'm having a good day, I'll play .....
5. If I'm having a bad day, I'll play ....
6. Does all music sound better when alcohol has been consumed? |
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Thread | You get what you pay for?
at 11:32 9 Jul 2025
So does it matter if we use our own money or somebody else's?
I don't know if Labour did indeed inherit an unfunded commitment to build hospitals etc but I do know that their financial plan is not going to survive withdrawals of policy on heating allowances and benefits. It is inevitable that to pay for those, we will see tax increases.
For so long as we want to have Scandi levels of welfare and a free medical service but pay US levels of taxation, we are going to see nothing except increasing national debt and therefore increased costs of servicing that debt.
No politician is going deliver the bad news of an increase in tax (I've seen estimates from basic rate rising between 5% and 10% just to stand still) or a reduction in welfare. That is political suicide.
Instead we see a gradual but accelerating slide into more debt and more cost.
More so because of threats from Russia and the fact that the US is prepared to add trillions of dollars to its debt - gambling in increased prosperity to repay it in 30 years' time. (A bit like Truss economics on speed).
There is talk of a wealth tax. History shows that they hardly ever work. There is talk of "cracking down" on tax avoidance/benefit fraud - again history shows that these have at best a minimal impact.
Would restricting benefits force more people into work and into looking after themselves and contributing economically to the UK? Or this is inhumane and result in genuine hardship and perhaps death for some?
Would you pay more tax to maintain services where they are given that all talk of cost cutting is just that - talk? |
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Thread | Is promotion this season possible?
at 11:18 7 Jul 2025
Accepting that the transfer window has a way to go, what do we think.
For me, it's very much "unlikely".
I'd be delighted with a play off place, content with mid table and happy to avoid relegation.
I think the squad remains lacking in certain areas, the management raw and untested at this level and the owners still trying to make this a business and not a football club. |
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Thread | Report from the colonies
at 11:02 7 Jul 2025
I'm recently back from the US - visiting southern Maine which is a mix of blue and red types.
1. Football/soccer is booming there. Portland has a new franchise (Portland Hearts of Pine) which is a pro team playing in what we might call a feeder league to the MLS. They has an English striker (Ollie Wright) and a number of decent prospects.
2. The playing style of the US teams remains the (to my eyes) over coached - pass the ball to death - method which prioritises making say half a dozen decent chances a match rather than the more forward thinking game of making perhaps a dozen or more half chances but which produces a more interesting game.
3. The game there is still however kids and ladies and the boys have a whole range of other distractions such as baseball, football, hockey, basketball, lacrosse (very popular).
4. Hearts of Pine will be in their league for at least two seasons - no promotion/relegation - whilst the stability of the clubs financially and playing wise is established following which a form of promotion/relegation will be introduced via some sort of complicated end of season play off system. The issue is that the MLS teams have "bought" a franchise for a period and being relegated would perhaps break the contracts.
5. Hearts of Pine play in a league based on the east coast but even so travel huge distances. often they will be "on the road" for a series of games (four whilst we were there) before playing say three/four home games.
6. Their stadium is 6,000 capacity and sold out for every home game.
7. Their playing season is from April to December. It's usually too cold or snowy after that.
8. Several UK clubs have invested in academies there which for the moment support the efforts to build a league but already a couple of players have bene exported to the UK. Notable clubs include Brighton, Forest, QPR.
9. American owners are increasingly looking at US clubs at this level as a stepping stone to the UK. Aside from the variety show at Wrexham, recently Reading FC have been acquired by a US owner with connections to clubs in the deep south. |
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