Seen in the News

[Stanley]

You are right David. I saw the news and the idea of a state instigating political murder to get rid of rivals is horrific.
And yet convention says they are a sovereign state and cannot be interfered with.....

[Stanley]

We are on the verge of the National Drought Group, which is meeting today, declaring a national drought. The rainfall from January to June is the lowest since 1976 which was itself a record breaking year for heat. It is reported that there are shortages of some vegetables, the crops having failed for lack of water.
I wonder what proportion of this shortfall is due to crops not being planted because of economic and Brexit considerations? Is this the first example of shortages highlighting how precarious the situation is?

[Big Kev]

The BBC uncover 'killings' by the SAS in Afghanistan but failed to notice a paedofile operating in their own building...

[Stanley]

Not too sure about that Kev. I get the impression there were lots of people had an idea about Saville, trouble was how do you expose a celebrity accepted by the establishment? It would have made so many look gullible.....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the progress of the contaminated blood scandal. Like so many other pressing matters this has dragged on for years but only now do we see a chance of meaningful payouts to people whose lives have been ruined by the biggest medical disaster of the last century.
Think Post Office Horizon matters as well. Treasury procrastination militates against paying people what they deserve and our pathetic justice system allows the perpetrators to get away, literally, with murder.

[plaques]

Boris Johnson's speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Games could lead to to people thinking that he country is NOT run by the elected government.

"We come now to the next stage in the great relay race of politics," he said. "I didn't think it was meant to be a relay race, by the way, when I started.

"I can assure you that the baton is going to be passed seamlessly and invisibly to the hand of somebody else."

The two runners in the Prime Minister stakes are Truss and Sunak. So why is he talking about invisibly to someone else? If Truss gets the job will she be trust up to some puppet master who will be pull her strings. Not that she would particularly care since the real gravy train starts after leaving No10 which could be in less that 2½ years.

[Stanley]

When the histories are written, not prosecuting Johnson and allowing him to stay in post during the interregnum will be seen as a massive mistake which sent entirely the wrong signal. Instead of it being crystal clear that the Tory Party had blown it and completely failed to govern the myth is perpetuated that they are the natural party of leadership and can reset politics by means of a vote that has approximately 150,000 qualifiers. (BTW, all of them won't vote but I doubt if we will be told how many actually returned their ballot letters.)
What should have happened was a revolt by the opposition, a vote of no confidence in the government and a General Election. Instead the Tories will treat their Conference as a coronation and attempt to brave it out.
Our system is broken, why can't the country realise this?

[Tizer]

Have a look at the video of this poor farmer's crop on fire...
`‘I lost £40,000 worth of crops in a field fire’' LINK

[Tripps]

this poor farmer

Sounds like NFU Mutual will ease his pain.

[Stanley]

No chance of crop fires here... We are definitely holding up the flag for a green and pleasant land. There are definite advantages to being North of Watford and 500 feet up in the foothills. I was only thinking yesterday it reminds me of the advantages of the hill stations in the Raj.

[Tizer]

I was only thinking yesterday it reminds me of the advantages of the hill stations in the Raj.

Get out your tropical kit, find a pony and have a ride up Weets to keep an eye on the fuzzy-wuzzies!
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On a more serious note...be prepared for some serious warmongering activities from China tomorrow. Nancy Pelosi is in Singapore and flies to Taiwan tonight to meet the president tomorrow. China has threatened a show of force and `serious consequences' if she visits Taiwan and even the US military has advised her not to go there. Taiwan is shifting its jet fighters into bunkers under the mountains.
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17.00 Tuesday
Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Taiwan and transferred to her hotel. China has been sending warplanes right up to the median line dividing the Chinese mainland from Taiwan. Chinese social media is awash with demands that it takes back Taiwan.

[Stanley]

I have enough to deal with here bat home Peter without worrying about the aftermath of the revolution in China. I can remember when Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan (LINK) in 1949 and the situation hasn't improved since then!

[Stanley]

See THIS welcome news from the US. Alex Jones, the radio 'shock Jock' who has been making money out of denying that the Sandy Hook shooting was a genuine attack has been ordered to pay £41million in punitive damages. A sign that there is still some common sense in the US.

[Tizer]

That's good news. Now we need US judges to take the same evidence-based action on all those daft cases that Americans keep using to try and get rich quick. For example, the woman who wanted millions in compensation from her car insurance company because she caught an STD while having a romp in the vehicle!

On a serious note, here's another action that's going to mean less goods available in Britain...
`Felixstowe: Workers at key UK port to strike for eight days' LINK

[Stanley]

I saw that report Peter. More workers who have not had reasonable wage advancements to cope with reality realising that they have power and using it.

[Wendyf]

The case of Archie Battersby. He was probably dead back in April but now his poor mother is saying that he battled to the end. No he didn't but she did, possibly encouraged by the media and lawyers rubbing their hands with glee. How much more dignified would it have been to just let him go weeks ago. Will there be an inquest now into how he died?

[Big Kev]

The case of Archie Battersby. He was probably dead back in April but now his poor mother is saying that he battled to the end. No he didn't but she did, possibly encouraged by the media and lawyers rubbing their hands with glee. How much more dignified would it have been to just let him go weeks ago. Will there be an inquest now into how he died?

I thought exactly the same Wendy.

[Wendyf]

Now we hear that he was found with a ligature round his neck....

[Tripps]

This is the only newspaper I've seen that has even mentiond the matter. Independent I haven't registered to read it all but there's enough on show to get the drift. I'd guess that Tik Tok are deploying massive PR resources to deflect blame from where some of it it probably lies. No mention of the 'game' in most outlets. I have total sympathy for the mum and family, but I do wonder who is paying what must be massive legal bills.

[Wendyf]

Christian Concern have been funding it.

[Stanley]

Now someone else has mentioned it yes, I agree with all of you and have had similar dark thoughts. I've never seen or heard his age mentioned which would have given a clue.
'Christian Concern' (LINK) ticks all the boxes to qualify as an organisation to be avoided at all costs. 'Not for profit' but I bet it pays good wages, benefits and expenses.
No, the whole Battersbee affair stinks.
"Williams (Founder of CC) is reported as stating that the Human Fertilisation Bill was "the work of the devil", that homosexuality is sinful, that abortion should be illegal, and that the world is just 4,000 years old"
That quote from the Wikipedia article gives you a flavour.

[Stanley]

Heard actually.... 'Pastor Mick' of Church on the Street has just been on Radio 4 discussing the economic crisis with Gordon Brown. I can't explain why but this disturbs me.

[Tripps]

Pastor Mick' of Church on the Street has just been on Radio 4

Radio 4 you say? - Only right and proper I guess. I did read recently that he was up for promotion to Bishop.
Seems there is already is a C of E Bishop of Burnley - I think Bishop of Barlick has a nice ring to it.

PS It's true. . .
The International Christian Chuch Network recently announced that they are making Pastor Mick a Bishop-Elect.
In a letter they said: “After prayer and reflection, knowing you to be a man gifted by God, and equipped for the office, we write to confirm that our College of Bishops has unanimously voted that you be appointed to the office of Bishop, with all the rights that pertain thereto.” Pastor Mick said: “I am being made a bishop in October and that just seems incredible considering where I have come from.”

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I just bumped into a scurrilous website which gives a lot more detail on the Battersbee case than I actually wanted to know. I won't give the link, since I have no idea if it's true - but if half of it is - it will be in the regular press soon enough. Not good.

[Stanley]

Re the Battersbee website David, I can guess at the content and yes, it will all come out eventually.
As for the ex drug dealer being made a 'bishop'. I am reminded of 'The Reverend' Ian Paisley..... As I said yesterday, THIS disturbs me.....

[Tizer]

You all know I've been warning for years about `Putin's chef', the leader of the Wagner mercenary group that does Putin's dirty work while keeping any connection with him as secret as possible. He's now touring Russian prisons to recruit 1000 men. In return they get a salary and a presidential pardon. They're prioritising those inmates who are murderers or robbers. They will be sent to the Ukraine war.